We buy houses in Dorchester County, SC

An unpaid bill turns delinquent on March 17. A 15 percent penalty is added, and the bill moves to the Delinquent Tax Office.

For 2026, the county added these charges if the bill stayed unpaid:

• $5 after March 31
• $35 more after May 1, or $45 for a mobile home
• a $35 posting fee after June 30
• $80 for the newspaper ad after September 25, or October 2 for mobile homes

By law, a notice is mailed around April 1. If the bill is still unpaid 30 days later, the collector can take the property to sell it (S.C. Code 12-51-40).

The 2026 sale was set for Monday, October 19, at the Lovely Hill Convention Center in St. George. Payment had to reach the office by 5:00 p.m. on October 16.

The county takes no tax payments on sale day. There is no delinquent tax office in Summerville.

A tax sale does not take your house that day. You, a buyer from you, or a mortgage or judgment creditor can redeem it within 12 months (S.C. Code 12-51-90).

To redeem, you pay the Delinquent Tax Office the taxes, penalties and costs. Interest is a share of the winning bid, set by when you pay:

• months 1 to 3: 3 percent
• months 4 to 6: 6 percent
• months 7 to 9: 9 percent
• months 10 to 12: 12 percent

The office must send a certified letter 20 to 45 days before the year runs out. If it comes back undelivered, the tax deed can still go to the buyer (S.C. Code 12-51-120).

The office will not take a credit card to redeem property sold at a tax sale.

In South Carolina, a lender forecloses by suing in court. The house is then sold at a judicial sale.

In Dorchester County, the Circuit Court can send these cases to the Master-in-Equity. The Master rules like a judge without a jury, and the Clerk of Court keeps the records.

Before land is sold, it must be advertised for three weeks. The notice names the owner and goes up in three public places, one of them the courthouse door (S.C. Code 15-39-650 and 15-39-660).

If the lender wants a deficiency judgment, bidding stays open for 30 days after the sale. Anyone but the top bidder can raise the price in that time (S.C. Code 15-39-720).

If the lender gives up any deficiency, the ad must say so and bidding closes on sale day (S.C. Code 15-39-760). A real estate attorney can confirm which applies to you.

A manufactured home can become part of the land under it. The owner sets it up to code, takes off the wheels, axles and hitch, and files a retirement of title affidavit with the Register of Deeds (S.C. Code 56-19-510).

The county allows manufactured homes only in zoning districts that list them as a conditional use. An RV cannot be used as a home.

Land passed down without a will is often owned by several relatives. If one asks a court to sell, the others can buy that share at the court's value. They must tell the court at least 10 days before trial (S.C. Code 15-61-370).

Homes being built or substantially improved in a county flood zone must have the floor two feet above the base flood level. Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start.

Along Eagle Creek, the Army Corps of Engineers dropped its flood study. The county took over the project and started design work in October 2025.