Sumter County, SC Code Violation Reporting: How to Report (2026)

Sec. 22-130(a) sets the formal path for reporting a suspected unfit dwelling in the unincorporated county: a petition filed with the public officer, an official appointed by the County Administrator under Sec. 22-127, by at least five county residents charging that a specific dwelling is unfit for human habitation. The public officer must run a preliminary investigation, and if it discloses a basis for the charges, he issues a complaint served on the owner and all parties in interest, which can include a tenant or mobile home owner, that states the charges and sets a hearing not less than ten days nor more than 30 days after service.

The same section lets the public officer open a case on his own motion without waiting for a resident petition, so a single caller can prompt an investigation even without gathering four neighbors' signatures, though only a formal five-resident petition creates the mandatory duty to investigate. At the hearing, the owner and other parties in interest may file a written answer, appear in person, and give testimony; the rules of evidence used in courts do not control. Sec. 22-131 sets how the complaint or hearing notice is served: personally, by registered mail, or if the owner cannot be found, by newspaper publication for two consecutive weeks plus posting a copy on the property and filing a copy with the Clerk of Court, which then functions as a lis pendens notice.