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South Carolina · Understand the process

How long does foreclosure take in South Carolina?

A South Carolina foreclosure usually takes at least six months from the first missed payment, and often much longer. The federal 120-day wait, 30 days to answer, the time to get a hearing, and three weeks of advertising before a monthly sales day all add up. If the lender wants a deficiency, bidding stays open 30 more days after the auction. These are minimums, not predictions.

The short answer: Adding the federal 120-day wait, 30 days to answer the complaint, and three weeks of sale advertising before a monthly sales day, about six months from the first missed payment is a realistic minimum, plus however long it takes to get a hearing. If the lender wants a deficiency, bidding stays open 30 more days. This is a floor, not a prediction.

Ask for help in South Carolina Free HUD counselor: (800) 569-4287

Reviewed against South Carolina law and official sources on October 12, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

The foreclosure timeline in South Carolina, phase by phase

  1. Missed payments

    Day 1 to at least day 121

    After the federal 120-day wait, the lender's attorney can file the lawsuit. Use this time to apply for help with your servicer and talk to a HUD-approved counselor.

    12 C.F.R. § 1024.41(f)

  2. Service and time to answer

    30 days after you are served

    You have 30 days after service of the summons and complaint to serve an answer. If you do not answer, the case can move toward judgment without you.

    SCRCP 12(a)

  3. Reference and final hearing

    Weeks to many months after the answer period

    No statute sets how soon the hearing must happen. The master's calendar, defenses you raise, and loss mitigation talks can all slow it down. In Horry and Georgetown counties, cases not referred within six months go to the master automatically.

    SCRCP 71(a); 15th Cir. local rule approved Mar. 26, 2026

  4. Advertising and sales day

    3 weeks of ads before the first Monday of a month

    Sales are held on the first Monday of the month (Tuesday if Monday is a legal holiday), between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Because the ads must run the three weeks right before sales day, a judgment entered late in a month may not reach a sale until the month after next.

    S.C. Code Ann. §§ 15-39-650, 15-39-680, 15-39-690

  5. Thirty-day bidding period

    30 days after the sale, if a deficiency was demanded

    Bidding stays open until the 30th day after the sale. On that day the officer reopens bidding at 11 a.m. If the lender waived a deficiency in its complaint, the sale is final on sale day and the buyer can pay right away.

    S.C. Code Ann. §§ 15-39-720, 15-39-760

  6. Paying the bid and the deed

    By the compliance date set in the judgment

    The judgment sets the date the buyer must pay in full. Counties differ: Beaufort and Horry, for example, give 30 days. Once paid, the officer signs the deed and files a report of the sale with the court.

    SCRCP 71(b)

  7. Surplus claim window

    45 days after the report of sale is filed

    If the sale brought more than was owed, claims to the extra money must be filed with the master within 45 days after the statement of receipts and disbursements is filed. Late claims are treated as given up.

    SCRCP 71(c)

South Carolina deadlines written into the law

Time to answer the summons and complaintSCRCP 12(a)30 days after you are served
Sale advertisingS.C. Code Ann. § 15-39-6503 weeks right before the sale day
Upset bid period when a deficiency is soughtS.C. Code Ann. § 15-39-720Bidding stays open until the 30th day after the sale
Petition for appraisal to reduce a deficiencyS.C. Code Ann. § 29-3-680Within 30 days after the sale
Claim to surplus sale moneySCRCP 71(c)Within 45 days after the report of sale is filed

Your own dates are on the notices you received. If a notice and this page disagree, trust the notice and ask a counselor or lawyer.

Common questions in South Carolina

How fast can a South Carolina foreclosure go?

Adding the federal wait of more than 120 days, 30 days to answer, and three weeks of advertising before a first-Monday sale, the floor is roughly six months, plus however long it takes to get a hearing. Abandoned property can be put on a faster track under S.C. Code Ann. § 29-3-625, but only after a hearing and proof that the property is really abandoned.

What time are South Carolina foreclosure auctions held?

By statute, judicial sales are held on the first Monday of each month, or the next day if that Monday is a legal holiday, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. (S.C. Code Ann. §§ 15-39-680, 15-39-690). Many counties, such as Beaufort and Horry, start at 11 a.m. at the county courthouse.

Why is my South Carolina foreclosure sale not final for 30 days?

Because the lender asked for a deficiency judgment. When it does, bidding stays open until the 30th day after the sale so others can bid more (S.C. Code Ann. § 15-39-720). County master pages say the lender can bid only at the first sale and cannot raise its bid later, which can help keep the price up and the deficiency down.

Step by step

More on foreclosure in South Carolina

Understand the process

What is happening and how much time there is.

Weigh your options

What can stop it, and what happens if it goes ahead.

Get help now

Who to call, and what to do when a sale is scheduled.

Back to the South Carolina overview

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Sources for this page

  1. Supreme Court of South Carolina, Order of May 17, 2023, Rescission of Administrative Orders Governing Mortgage Foreclosure Actions
  2. South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 71, Foreclosure and Partition
  3. South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 12, Defenses and Objections
  4. South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 40, Assignment of Cases for Trial
  5. S.C. Code Title 15, Chapter 11, Lis Pendens
  6. Supreme Court of South Carolina, Local Rule for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, Automatic Reference to the Master In Equity for Certain Foreclosure Matters (March 26, 2026)
  7. Beaufort County Master-in-Equity: Foreclosure Matters
  8. Horry County Master In Equity
  9. Richland County Master in Equity
  10. South Carolina Legal Services (apply for help)
  11. S.C. Code Title 29, Chapter 3, Mortgages and Deeds of Trust Generally
  12. S.C. Code Title 15, Chapter 39, Executions and Judicial Sales Generally
  13. Supreme Court of South Carolina, Administrative Order 2011-05-02-01, Mortgage Foreclosure Actions (rescinded May 17, 2023)
  14. SC Housing: South Carolina Homeowner Rescue Program has closed
  15. SC Housing: Avoid Foreclosure
  16. SC Board of Financial Institutions, Consumer Finance Division: File a Complaint