(A) For the purposes of this section, "court" means a court, judge, clerk of court, master-in-equity, special referee, or judge of probate of competent jurisdiction in the county where the action is pending.

(B)(1) A court shall grant an order allowing a party with an interest in or lien on a parcel of real property subject to a partition action, mortgage foreclosure action, or other action affecting the property‘s title to serve by publication any unknown party to the action and who has an interest in or lien on the real property, any such legal notice as will accomplish the underlying purposes set forth in this section, if the:

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Terms Used In South Carolina Code 15-9-720

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • property: as used in this Title , includes both real and personal property. See South Carolina Code 15-1-50
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.

(a) residence of the unknown party cannot, with a reasonably diligent effort, be ascertained by the plaintiff; and

(b) plaintiff presents an affidavit to the court stating he has been unable to ascertain the residence of the unknown party after making a reasonably diligent effort.

(2) A court order allowing a party to serve an unknown party by publication must require the party serving by publication to publish the service once a week for three weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the property is situated. Service by publication under this section is equal to personal service on the unknown party.

(C) A party may accomplish service by publication pursuant to this section for multiple units in a single horizontal property regime by consolidating the services into a single service that identifies each apartment included in the action based on the apartment’s description in the master deed. This consolidated service must comply with the other requirements of this section and other applicable statutes, including the requirement that publication must take place once a week for three weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the property is situated.

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