Upon specific and immediate direction of Chief Justice Beatty, all magistrates are to immediately cease ordering a tenant to post past due rent in a residential eviction in order to stay the eviction on appeal.
Code §27-40-800 (b) of the South Carolina Residential Landlord Tenant Act requires that it is sufficient to stay execution of a judgment for ejection that a tenant sign an undertaking that he will pay the landlord the amount of rent as it becomes due periodically after the judgment was entered. Nowhere in that statute is payment of past due rent required to stay the execution of judgment pending appeal in a residential eviction appeal.
Code § 27-40-790 is not applicable to a residential eviction appeal as it is inconsistent with Code § 27-40-800. Likewise, Code §27-37-130 is not applicable to residential landlord tenant matters as it is also inconsistent with 27-40-800 and applies only to commercial landlord tenant evictions.
Posted by: Byron King on 10/19/20 (This information is only accurate as of 10/19/20. You must contact SCR for updates and changes to this information after 10/19/20 as laws and regulations may change over time. SCR 803-772-5206 or email Byron)