South Carolina · Judicial state · S.C. Code §§ 29-3-610, 15-39-650 to 15-39-760

South Carolina sells on a first Monday. Then two thirty-day windows open.

Every foreclosure here goes through court, usually before a master-in-equity, and the auction lands on the first Monday of a month. There is no redemption afterwards, but if the lender asked for a shortfall judgment, bidding stays open 30 days and you get 30 days to force an appraisal that can wipe that shortfall out.

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Three dates decide a South Carolina case. Thirty days after you are served, the deadline to answer. The first Monday sale. And thirty days after the sale, when both the open bidding period and the appraisal petition close.

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What Florida gives you

Rights that exist because the property is in Florida, whatever a servicer tells you on the phone.

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Where to get real help, free

Regional legal aid programmes take foreclosure cases at no cost if you qualify by income. Start at FloridaLawHelp.org, which routes you to the programme covering your county.

HUD-approved housing counsellors are free everywhere in the state — 1-800-569-4287. Several circuits also run residential foreclosure mediation; ask the clerk whether yours does.

Anyone who contacts you first, guarantees they can stop the sale for a fee paid up front, or asks you to sign the deed over is running a scam. Never sign a deed to someone promising to save your home.

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Status of this page

Verified 8 September 2026 against the 2025 Florida Statutes and the Rules of Civil Procedure. That audit corrected ten items, including a dead citation for the deficiency limitation period, the wrong authority for the writ of possession, and a surplus claim deadline repealed in 2019. Statute text was verified; appellate case law was not, and two items — the paragraph 22 defence and current circuit mediation programmes — rest partly on secondary sources and should be confirmed by a Florida attorney before launch.

Questions people ask about South Carolina foreclosure

Short answers, each one sourced to the statute cited on this page.

How long does foreclosure take in South Carolina?

A typical South Carolina foreclosure runs roughly 318 days from the first missed payment to the sale. Every case goes through court, usually before a master-in-equity, and the auction is held on the first Monday of the month. S.C. Code 15-39-680.

Does South Carolina still have foreclosure mediation?

No. The South Carolina Supreme Court rescinded the foreclosure intervention administrative orders effective 17 May 2023, and federal servicing rules now govern. Many websites still describe the old programme as current.

Is there a redemption period after foreclosure in South Carolina?

No. There is no right to buy the home back after a mortgage foreclosure sale. The closest thing is the 30 day open bidding period that applies when the lender demanded a deficiency judgment. S.C. Code 15-39-720.

Can I reduce a deficiency judgment in South Carolina?

Yes. Within 30 days of the sale you may petition for an appraisal by three licensed appraisers. If the appraised value beats the sale price by more than the shortfall, the deficiency is extinguished, and on an owner-occupied home that right cannot be waived. S.C. Code 29-3-680 and 29-3-740.

How long do I have to redeem after a South Carolina tax sale?

Twelve months from the sale, paying taxes, costs and interest that rises from 3% to 12% across the year. S.C. Code 12-51-90.

What happens to money above the taxes at a South Carolina tax sale?

That overage belongs to the owner of record and can be claimed for five years from the auction. S.C. Code 12-51-130.