Unhappy with your HOA? You’re far from alone as Horry County tops SC’s disgruntled list
Horry County led the state in 2019 with more complaints against homeowner associations than any other county in the state, according to the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs.
In 2018, changes to the state law required the SCDCA to collect and make public complaints against HOAs. In the inaugural year, Richland County took first with the most complaints and Horry County came in second.
But last year, Horry County residents made 22 percent of the 212 complaints submitted to SCDCA. Charleston County took second place with 12.5 percent, and Richland and Aiken counties tied for third at 10.8 percent.
Most of the complaints in Horry County were made in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach. A few others came in the Little River and Longs areas.
Of the 212 complaints, 17 were duplicates and three did not have sufficient information to count, according to the SCDCA website. The complaints can be found on the agency’s website.
SCDCA also gives the complaints to Gov. Henry McMaster’s office and members of the South Carolina legislature, as required by state law. In addition, HOAs must make their governing documents publicly available and filed to the local government before they can be made legal.
Currently, the agency does not have the authority to weigh in on the complaints. The law allows for a magistrate court to handle HOA matters if deemed necessary.
This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 2:39 PM.
