2020 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 27 - Property and Conveyances
Chapter 31 - Horizontal Property Act
Section 27-31-420. Rights and duties of owners, landlords, and tenants when rental units are converted to condominiums; notices; offers; vacation; phased conversions.

(A) Whenever a lessee, sole owner, or co-owner of a building declares the undertaking of a conversion of rental units to condominium ownership through the recordation of a master deed or master lease, within thirty days of the date of recordation the lessee or owner shall deliver in writing to each tenant in possession of an apartment within the building to be converted:

(1) the disclosure items required by Section 27-31-430;

(2) written notice of the planned conversion which shall set forth generally the rights of tenants under this section;

(3) an offer to convey to the tenant the apartment occupied by the tenant at a specified price and upon specified terms.

The tenant shall not be required to vacate the apartment until expiration of his lease or for one hundred twenty days, or ninety days if the tenant is under the age of sixty, following delivery of the notice, whichever is longer, and the terms of the tenancy shall not be altered during that period. Any notice which under the terms of such tenancy is required to be given to prevent the automatic renewal or extension of the term of such tenancy may be given during such period. Failure to give notice as required by this section shall constitute a defense to an action by the lessee or owner for possession if initiated less than one hundred twenty days, or ninety days if the tenant is under the age of sixty, after delivery of the notice, except as provided in subsection (E).

(B) The price and terms offered to each tenant in possession shall be at least as favorable as the price and terms offered to prospective purchasers who are not tenants in possession of apartments in the building to be converted. The tenant shall be allowed sixty days in which to accept such offer and, in the event the tenant shall not have accepted the offer within the sixty days, the lessee or owner of the building shall be prohibited for an additional fifty days, or fifteen days if the tenant is under the age of sixty, from making an offer to convey the apartment to any other person at a price or upon terms more favorable then those offered to the tenant, unless such more favorable offer first shall have been extended to the tenant for his exclusive consideration for a period of ten days. Acceptance of an offer by a tenant in possession shall be in writing. If a declarant, in violation of this subsection, conveys a unit to a purchaser for value who has no knowledge of the violation, recordation of the deed conveying the unit extinguishes any right a tenant may have under the subsection to purchase that unit if the deed states that the seller has complied with the subsection, but does not affect the right of a tenant to recover damages from the declarant for a violation of this subsection.

(C) Where the conversion is to be accomplished on a phase-in basis, the notices required shall be given within thirty days of the undertaking of the conversion of each building.

(D) Notices and offers required or permitted to be delivered to a tenant by this article may be:

(1) hand delivered to the tenant; or

(2) hand delivered to the apartment; or

(3) posted in the United States mails, postage prepaid, addressed to the tenant at the individual's apartment address.

Acceptances of offers of a lessee or owner may be:

(1) hand delivered to the lessee or owner; or

(2) hand delivered to an authorized representative of the lessee or owner; or

(3) posted in the United States mails, postage prepaid, properly addressed to the lessee or owner. If registered or certified mail is used, the postmark date of the registered or certified mail receipt received upon posting shall be the date of delivery for purposes of this article.

(E) Nothing in this section shall prevent termination of a lease according to law for violation of its terms.

(F) In the event of extended occupancy by the tenant pursuant to subsection (A), the rights and obligations of the landlord and tenant during the period of extended occupancy shall remain the same as prior to the period.

HISTORY: 1983 Act No. 37, Section 2.