Pickens County, SC Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Chapter 8, Article II of the Pickens County Code, the "Standard Housing and Abatement Ordinance," gives the county's designated housing enforcement officer authority to declare a dwelling unfit for human habitation under § 8-73 whenever conditions exist that are "dangerous or injurious to the health, safety or welfare" of occupants, neighbors, or other county residents. The section lists qualifying conditions without limiting them to the list: fire or accident hazards, inadequate ventilation, light or sanitary facilities, dilapidation, disrepair, structural defects, and failure to remove trash or garbage.

The process is complaint-driven and adversarial in the owner's favor. Under § 8-74, the officer can open a case on his own motion, on a petition from at least five county residents, or on a written request from the occupant or the owner, but must run a preliminary investigation before issuing a formal complaint and must set a hearing not less than ten and not more than 30 days after serving it. Complaints and orders are served personally, by registered mail, or, if the person cannot be found, by newspaper publication for two consecutive weeks plus posting on the property, under § 8-75.

If the officer finds after a hearing that the dwelling is unfit, § 8-76 requires one of two orders: where repair is reasonable relative to the dwelling's value, the owner must repair, alter, or improve the dwelling, or vacate and close it, within 60 days or the time set in the order; where repair is not cost-reasonable, the owner must remove or demolish the structure within the time specified. Under § 8-77, if the owner does not comply, the county itself may do the repair, vacating, or demolition, and § 8-80 makes the county's costs a lien against the property, recouped from any sale of salvaged materials with the balance held by the clerk of court.