Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tax Auction topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Beaufort County delinquent tax auction draws multi‑million bids; rules stress heirs‑property protections
Summary
Beaufort County’s treasurer’s office ran a delinquent tax auction that included a public plea to respect Gullah heirs property and several high‑value sales, including parcels that sold for $950,000, $2.3 million and $6.9 million.
Beaufort County held a delinquent tax auction run by the county treasurer’s office. The treasurer opened the proceeding, reviewed bidder rules and turned the event over to the auctioneer, who ran a fast-moving sale of dozens of parcels, several of them drawing six‑ and seven‑figure winning bids.
The treasurer’s office highlighted several procedural rules for bidders before sales began: parcels are auctioned alphabetically by owner name; bidders must pay by 2 p.m. the day of the sale; there is a $500 forfeit fee per property if a winning bidder fails to pay; notarized tax‑sale receipts will be issued and treated as the bidder’s bill; and some parcels are listed as “add‑on” properties that may be skipped if a winning bid covers taxes for multiple parcels. The treasurer emphasized that South Carolina law provides a redemption period for delinquent owners and urged bidders to research parcels in advance.
Luana Graves Sellers, founder of the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation, addressed attendees before the sale began and urged bidders to avoid bidding against families on heirs property. "I am asking on behalf of the families that are here that you respect our culture," she said. The auction proceeded after that public plea, and the auctioneer ran through a long list of parcels.
Several high‑value results stood out during the sale. The auctioneer announced a number of six‑ and seven‑figure outcomes, including an ABPB LLC parcel that the auctioneer said was sold at $950,000; a parcel reported sold for $2,300,000; and a later parcel announced at $6,900,000. The auctioneer repeated winning bid notices to identify bidder numbers and to confirm sales for the cashiering process.
The auctioneer also noted procedures for heirs properties: when an item was listed as heirs property, the auctioneer invited any heirs in the room to make themselves known before proceeding. The first identified heirs property mentioned by the auctioneer was sold for a modest amount and the treasurer explained how a successful bidder obtains a notarized receipt and handles redemptions.
The auction closed with the auctioneer reminding bidders to complete checkout and payment. The event was broadcast on county television and ended with a sign‑off. The treasurer’s office said it would send a post‑event survey to attendees seeking feedback.
What’s next: winning bidders must follow the treasurer’s instructions to pay and collect notarized receipts; owners retain a statutory redemption period. The county advised any participant with questions to contact the treasurer’s office for procedural or payment guidance.
