Beaufort County, SC Code Violation Reporting: Response Times (2026)
Key Facts
- Complaint threshold
- 5+ residents or administrator's motion
- Hearing window
- 10 to 30 calendar days after service
- Service methods
- Personal, certified mail, or 2-week publication
- Order filing
- Filed with clerk of court as lis pendens
Summary
A Beaufort County unfit-dwelling complaint from five or more residents, or the county administrator's own motion, moves to a hearing set not less than ten nor more than 30 calendar days after the complaint is served, under Code of Ordinances § 74-135. The administrator must find a preliminary basis for the charges before issuing that complaint.
Whenever a complaint or petition is filed with the county administrator or his designated representative(s), by at least five residents of the county, charging that any dwelling is unfit for human habitation or whenever it appears to the county administrator or his designated representative(s), on his own motion, that any dwelling is unfit for human habitation, the county administrator or his designated representative(s) shall, if his preliminary investigation discloses a basis for such charges, issue and cause to be served upon the owner and all parties of interest in such dwelling, a complaint or notice in letter form, stating the charges and that a hearing may be held before county administrator or his designated representative(s), not less than ten days nor more than 30 calendar days after the service of such complaint or letter; that the owner and parties in interest shall be given the right to file an answer to the complaint and to appear in person or otherwise and give testimony at the place and time fixed in the complaint or a mutually agreed upon time as determined by the owner, all parties of interest and the county administrator or his designated representative(s).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55 Update 1 | Community Development Code: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
Section 74-135(a) requires that a complaint or petition charging a dwelling as unfit for human habitation come from at least five county residents, or arise from the administrator's own motion, and the administrator's preliminary investigation must disclose a basis for the charges before a formal written complaint issues. That complaint is served on the owner and all parties of interest and sets a hearing not less than ten nor more than 30 calendar days after service, or a mutually agreed time, giving the owner the right to answer and appear with testimony.
Section 74-136(b) governs how service happens: personal delivery or certified mail, return receipt requested, or, if the parties' whereabouts cannot be found despite reasonable diligence, publication once a week for two consecutive weeks in a county newspaper, plus posting a copy on the premises and filing it with the clerk of court as a lis pendens notice. Section 74-135(b) then requires the administrator, after the hearing, to issue written findings of fact and serve an order on the owner if the dwelling is determined unfit.
Violations & Fines
The county's own timeline is mandatory: a hearing cannot be scheduled sooner than ten days or later than 30 calendar days after the complaint is served under § 74-135(a). If an owner later ignores the resulting order, § 74-138 authorizes the county administrator to repair, close or demolish the dwelling directly and recover the cost as a lien under § 74-141.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast must Beaufort County schedule a hearing after an unfit-dwelling complaint?
How does the county notify an owner it can't locate?
Can five neighbors force a code investigation of a house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Beaufort County
Compare Beaufort County to another location·View the South Carolina code violation reporting overview
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