Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
The publication of delinquent tax notices in The People-Sentinel is the final notice for property owners who are delinquent in paying taxes.
Every year newspapers across the country publish pages worth of properties set to be auctioned off for delinquent taxes. While it may just look like random names and numbers, these listings are the final notice to property owners that their property could soon be sold.
What are tax notices?
When a homeowner does not pay property taxes, the county tax collector can sell the property to satisfy the lien. According to state law, the tax collector must make numerous attempts to contact the homeowner and make them aware of these unpaid taxes.
If the homeowner does not pay the taxes, the property is listed on the ‘Advertisement of Sale,’ or the tax notice, to eventually be auctioned at the county’s tax sale.
This notice is the “final notification to property owners, pursuant to S.C. Code Section 12-51-40, before the property is sold for delinquent taxes,” said Alissa Abbott, Barnwell County Tax Collector.
It includes the names of the taxpayer, the tax map number, and a plat description as well as important information about the upcoming tax sale. Last year, around 100 more properties were listed on the county’s tax notice advertisement than this year.
“In the past, more delinquent properties listed on the notice resulted in more properties being sold at the tax sale,” said Abbott. “More properties went unpaid due to a combination of many factors such as taxpayers facing personal hardships, unemployment, illness, tax notices not being delivered due to incorrect mailing addresses or other circumstances and, simply, procrastination.”
Why are tax notices published in the newspaper?
Aside from it being mandatory per state law, publicizing these notices “increases the chance of a property owner becoming aware they have delinquent taxes and their property could potentially be sold at the approaching tax sale,” said Abbott.
“For different reasons, the owner may not have received their other notices in the mail but they (or a friend / family member) then see their name and property listed in the newspaper advertisement,” said Abbott.
The notices are published for three weeks, giving property owners time to pay their delinquent taxes before their property goes to auction. If a property owner pays their taxes before the sale or the next week of publication, the property is removed from the list.
If a property is bought at the tax sale, the original property owner has one year from the date of the sale to pay the delinquent taxes, penalties, costs, assessments, and interest due the bidder in order to regain their property. The bidder will be refunded what they paid at the tax sale with any applicable interest.
When is the tax sale?
The Barnwell County Delinquent Tax Sale Auction is on December 11, 2023 at 10 a.m. on the second floor of the Barnwell County Courthouse located at 141 Main Street.
All property is sold as is, and the county is not liable for the quality of the property being sold.
Registration to bid began on November 22 and ends December 8 at 5 p.m. Those interested in bidding at the auction can register for $10 at the Delinquent Tax Office located at 57 Wall Street in Barnwell.
For more information on the Barnwell County Delinquent Tax Sale, turn to pages B5-7, or call the Delinquent Tax Collector’s Office at (803) 541-1048.
To search properties listed on the notice, visit the Barnwell County Assessor's website: https://www.qpublic.net/sc/barnwell/search.html, and click ‘Search Records.’
The Allendale County Delinquent Tax Sale Auction is on December 4 at 10 a.m. at the Allendale James Brandt Building located at 298 Barnwell Highway in Allendale. Turn to pages B 3-5 to see the full list of properties.
Those interested in bidding must pre-register the week prior to the tax sale (Nov. 27 to Dec. 1) by visiting the Allendale County Tax Collector Office or calling tax collector Bridjet Woods at (803) 584-4040.
