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Charleston County, SC
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  • FLC Sealed Bid Sale
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FLC Sealed Bid Sale

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SUBMISSION OF SEALED BIDS
[FORFEITED LAND COMMISSION (FLC) BIDDER PROPERTIES]

THE FLC SEALED BID AUCTION HELD (12/07/2020 – 01/7/2021)
ASSIGNS THE FLC BID TO YOU AS PER S.C. CODE SECTION 12-59-80

We will only accept your Bid submitted on the FLC Sealed Bid Form and placed in a sealed envelope by the 5:00 PM deadline Thursday, January 7, 2021. The sealed bids must be physically in the office by the deadline as we will not accept postmark. Mail bid form(s) to: ATTN: FLC Sealed Bid Sale, Charleston County Revenue Collections, 4045 Bridge View Drive, Ste B110, North Charleston, SC 29405.

  • *** You must be a registered bidder to bid in the FLC Sealed Bid Auction ***. If you are not a previously registered bidder from our last tax sale on November 16, 2020 you must register beginning Monday, December 7, 2020 after 12pm and pay the $10 bidder fee and receive a bidder number in order to enter a sealed bid in the current FLC Sealed Bid Auction. Please contact us @ 843-202-6570 if you have any questions or need to register as a bidder.
  • If you were a registered bidder in the regular tax sale which was held on November 16, 2020 it will not be necessary to register or pay your $10.00 fee again. You should only use the same bidder number that you were already registered with when you participated in the November 16, 2020 Tax Sale.
  • We will have sealed bid forms on hand for you. The FLC Bidder Properties Listing and FLC Sealed Bid Form may be viewed and downloaded from the Charleston County Website, beginning Monday, December 7, 2020 after 12pm. The FLC bidder properties are properties that were previously for sale in the November 16, 2020 tax sale, but were not bid on and were therefore retained by the FLC as the winning bidder at that time. Important: The redemption period begins on the date of each tax sale and ends 365 days later. This means that the redemption period began on November 16, 2020 and will end on November 17, 2021 at 5:00 PM.
  • If you are the successful bidder and the property is not redeemed by the November 17, 2021 redemption deadline, a tax deed will be issued to you within approximately 90 days after the end of the redemption deadline.
  • You must turn in one FLC Bid Form for each property you are placing a bid on. If you have multiple bids you may place all of those bid forms in one envelope. Please remember that this is a sealed bid auction so the bid form must be in a sealed envelope when you turn it in. The bid at the highest amount, over the minimum, will be declared the winning bid and will be notified by telephone by Wednesday, January 13, 2021 or as soon as possible. If you bid more than once on the same property your highest bid wins if it is the highest bid on the property. The total bid amount, in cash or certified funds, will be due immediately upon notification. We do not accept personal checks. In the event the winning bidder does not comply by the next business day or on a mutually agreed upon timeframe from the notification date they will be considered in default on all their bids and the next highest bidder will be notified and declared the winning bidder. Please do not call the office wanting to know if you won a bid. You will be notified by us.
  • Your bid must be $100.00 over the Opening Bid Amount shown on the list or Greater, in whole dollars.
  • All Bidders must fill out all the requested information on the FLC Sealed Bid Form correctly. If you do not comply with this request your bid will be considered void.
  • You must use your recently assigned bidder number on all sealed bids you submit.

Important Note: In the event that a successful bidder fails to comply and is found to be in default on any property, all bid offers made by that bidder will be considered void. Defaulting bidders will not be allowed to participate in any future tax auctions and will also be subject to $500 damages cost per defaulting bid imposed by S.C. Code Section 12-51-70. We strongly caution you to investigate each property thoroughly prior to bidding. No characterization or warranty as to quality, quantity or condition of property is set forth by this offer. Remember that some of these properties have been rejected by other buyers or are being placed back up for sale due to a default by a bidder from the previous tax sale. The resulting titles may require legal action on your part. It is recommended that you speak with your attorney if you are not familiar with tax deeds or government bills of sale on mobile homes. All sales are final, please be cautious. Please wait until you receive a letter from us to mail your original bidder receipt back to us. After we receive your bidder receipt please allow twenty (20) business days to receive your check from us before you call us inquiring about your bidder check not being received.

The Charleston County Forfeited Land Commission was created by Title 12, Chapter 59, of the South Carolina Code of Laws. It is the Commission’s responsibility to vote on accepting property for which there is no bid offered at the annual county tax auction. As a result of accepting property, they also vote to dispose of said property in a way that is in the ‘best interest of the County’ as per the S.C. Code of Laws, Section 12-59-40.

Contact

Delinquent Tax

Lonnie Hamilton, III Public Services Building
Map 4045 Bridge View Drive
North Charleston, SC 29405

Phone: (843)202-6570
Fax: (843)202-6066

Office Hours
Mon. - Fri. 8:30am - 5pm

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FLC Sealed Bid Lists

Sealed Bid List

Sealed Bid List

Related Information

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Frequently Asked Questions

When are taxes considered delinquent?

Taxes are delinquent if not paid by March 17th of the year following the taxable year. This date can vary somewhat due to due dates falling on weekends or other issues.

What if I have moved?

Please contact the Charleston County Auditor's Office in writing to ensure that all tax notifications are sent to the correct mailing address. Include all property that you may own. Contact our office to make sure no taxes are currently due on your property.

How many years must a property be delinquent before it goes to sale?

Taxes may be delinquent for one year to be eligible to go to tax sale although properties can sometimes have multiple years owed due to various reasons.

What type of property do you sell in your annual tax sale?

We sell real property and mobile homes.

What type of property is sold at your personal property delinquent tax sales?

We sell boats and motors, business equipment, rental residential furnishings and other types of personal property. We do not currently sell vehicles.

When is your tax sale?

The Charleston County Delinquent Tax Sale for real property and mobile homes is held annually in either November or December. This year's tax sale will be held starting Monday, November 16, 2020 at 9 AM and succeeding days as needed. Personal property sales are conducted periodically throughout the year.

Where can I get a listing of properties available for sale?

An online listing is available beginning Friday, October 2, 2020 of real and mobile home properties to be sold and will be updated weekly. The tax sale ad will also appear in the Post & Courier on the three preceding Wednesdays of October 28, 2020, November 4, 2020 and November 11, 2020. Mobile homes will be advertised in the last two listed ad dates prior to the tax sale. If you sign up as a bidder for the tax sale, a tax sale listing will be given to you the day of the tax sale. Personal property tax sales are advertised periodically throughout the year in a newspaper of general circulation for two times prior to the personal property tax sale and also published online on our web site.

How can you sell property for taxes?

Pursuant to S.C. Code Section (12-49-20), if taxes are not paid on or before the last day of the calendar Year (December 31st), then a first lien attaches to the property. The Delinquent Tax Collector must take possession of the delinquent property, and then may sell such property in order to satisfy the outstanding delinquent liability after a series of notices as described in S.C. Title 12 of the S.C. Code of Laws starting in Section (12-51-40) in the "Alternate Procedure for Collection of Property Taxes".

Is South Carolina a Tax Deed or Tax Lien State?

South Carolina is a Tax Deed State.

How will I know if my property is going to be auctioned at the tax sale?

There is an initial notice, called an Execution Notice, that is mailed April 1st or soon thereafter to notify the delinquent tax payer of their delinquent taxes due. No less than thirty (30) days after the initial notice is mailed, a secondary certified notice (mail levy) is mailed to the defaulting taxpayer. If the delinquent tax bill is still not paid and the county does not have a good signature on the mail levy return green card then a sign (hand levy poster) is placed on the property that serves as the levy on the property. The properties and the owners of record will be advertised in a local newspaper of general circulation before the property is subsequently sold at tax sale.

How do I become a bidder in the Tax Sale?

You must register as a bidder and pay your $10 registration fee in person or by mail beginning Friday, October 2, 2020. The sale is conducted in an open auction format. The highest responsive bidder wins the bid, and all bids must be paid in cash or certified funds before the close of the tax sale. Registration will be capped at the total amount of people allowable in the space we are provided. We suggest that you register early.

WE WILL NOT BE SIGNING UP BIDDERS ON THE DAY(S) OF THE TAX SALE

Do I have to sign up or pay a fee to just watch the tax sale proceedings?

Yes. Due to restrictions regarding social distancing, only participating bidders may attend the tax sale. There will be media streaming available at the tax sale location for anyone interested in watching the sale. We ask that if you want to observe the sale, to do so at that specified location or from home.

Where is the Tax Sale?

For accommodation purposes, our real and mobile home tax sale will be held at the Charleston Area Convention Center located at 5000 Coliseum Drive, North Charleston, SC 29418. Personal Property Tax Sales will be advertised as to where they will be held during the year.

What do I do if my property goes to sale?

You must redeem the property within one year of the sale date by paying the delinquent taxes, penalties, costs, assessments, and interest due the bidder up to 12% along with your current year’s taxes with certified funds. Call the Delinquent Tax Office at (843)202-6570 to find out your redemption amount due. There is no redemption period for personal property tax sales (Boats/ Motors/Aircraft/Business Equipment/Furniture). The day of the personal property tax sale the bidder receives their receipt (bill of sale) and they own the property that same day.

What happens if I win the bid on a property?

Once a real or mobile home property has been sold, the defaulting taxpayer(s), any grantee of the owner, or any mortgage or judgment creditor has one calendar year from the date of sale to redeem the property. If the property is redeemed, then you will receive your bid money back with interest paid by the person or entity that redeems the property. With personal property, there is no redemption period. You will be issued a bill of sale to the property and you will need to go through the proper government agency to change the property ownership in your name.

What does it mean to redeem property?

The defaulting taxpayer(s), grantee of the owner, or any mortgage or judgment creditor must pay all outstanding taxes in addition to levies, costs, assessments, and rent (for mobile home sales only) and interest to the bidder up to 12% within the year redemption time deadline. A bidder cannot later redeem property that they won the bid on in the tax sale, on behalf of the defaulting taxpayer, in order to relieve themselves of receiving the delinquent tax payer's property by tax deed and to instead receive the majority of their bid money back through that disallowed redemption of the property.

How much interest can I earn as a bidder in the annual tax sale for real and mobile home property?

The interest due the bidder may not exceed the opening bid amount submitted on behalf of the Forfeited Land Commission (FLC), which is the amount of the outstanding tax liability due on the Property plus the current years taxes. The bidder interest increases by 3% each quarter of the redemption year for a maximum of 12% possible interest earned. Interest is earned up to the opening bid amount (back taxes, costs and fees + current tax amount) where it will cap.

What happens if the property is not redeemed within the twelve (12) month redemption period?

If the property is not redeemed by one year from the date of sale, then the property is tax titled to the highest bidder or their assignee approximately three months later through a tax deed. You have no rights to the property until the tax deed is filed at the Charleston County Register of Deeds (ROD) conveying the property to you as the new owner.

When can you void a tax sale?

If there is a failure to perform any action necessary to pass title, the Tax Collector may void a Tax Sale at any time before the filing of the Tax Deed with the (ROD).

What happens if a tax sale is voided on a real or mobile home property on which I won the bid?

You will receive your bid money back plus actual interest earned by the County while we held your bidder money in our account. You will not receive the interest due the bidder as described above of up to 12%. Also, on a voided mobile home sale, you will not receive any rent money.

What happens to the rest of the bid money (over the amount of taxes, costs, assessments and fees due) if the property is not redeemed?

Any excess funds (tax sale overage) over and above the amount of taxes, assessments, costs and fees due will be available for the owner of record at the time of the end of redemption. These overages are paid out by filing an overage claim form. These overages are not payable until 90 days after the tax deed has been filed with the (ROD).

Haven't found the answer to your question?

Contact the Delinquent Tax Office at (843) 202-6570 or email us at: delinquenttax@charlestoncounty.org.


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