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

Under the Unfit Dwelling Ordinance in Chapter 22, Article VII, a public officer designated by the County Administrator investigates dwellings found unfit for human habitation under the standards in Sec. 22-129 and, after a hearing, issues a written order under Sec. 22-130. If repair, alteration or improvement can be done at a reasonable cost, defined in Sec. 22-126 as 50 percent or less of the dwelling's estimated value, the order requires the owner to repair the home to make it fit or to vacate and close it.

If repair would cost more than that, the order instead requires the owner to remove or demolish the structure within the time stated. Should the owner ignore the order, the public officer may carry out the repair, vacating, closing, removal or demolition directly, and Sec. 22-130(e) makes the county's cost of doing so a lien against the real property, collectible the same way as county taxes. A placard reading "This building is unfit for human habitation and occupancy is prohibited and unlawful" may be posted on a closed dwelling, and removing it before the owner complies is itself a separate misdemeanor under Sec.

22-135. If the county hires an outside contractor to demolish the structure, Sec. 22-130(f) requires the work be bid under the county's procurement code, and any proceeds from selling salvaged materials are credited against the demolition cost under Sec. 22-133, with a court holding any balance for parties later found entitled to it.