A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 27-37-170 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN EVICTIONS MAY BE EXPUNGED.

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 37, Title 27 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 27-37-170. A person may apply for an expungement of their civil eviction file to the magistrate court in the county in which he resides. The expungement must be granted if the person has had no additional evictions for a period of at least five years within this State since the last eviction. The magistrate court shall conduct a search through the public index or another reasonable method to certify that no other evictions have occurred within the previous five years. Fees must be set by the South Carolina Office of Court Administration for civil expungement.

 

SECTION 2.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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