The most complaints about HOAs in SC come from these counties, new state report says. What to know

Nearly half of all homeowners association complaints in South Carolina last year came from three counties, a new state report shows.

The three counties had a total of 48.6% of all the complaints levied against 208 HOAs/management companies last year, according to the S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs. The department has filed HOA complaint reports since 2019, following a change in state law that requires that data from those complaints be given to the governor, General Assembly and the public every year.

Here are the three counties with the most complaints in 2022.

• Horry: 25.4%
  
  
• Richland: 12.3%
  
  
• Greenville: 10.9%
  
  

Highlights from the HOA complaint report

• The new report contains details from 276 complaints filed against HOAs/management companies. There were 7% more complaints in 2022 than in the prior year. However, while the number of complaints increased, the number of concerns dropped 8% year over year.
  
  
• The complaints raised 651 concerns, multiples of which were included in single complaints. The top three types of concerns raised included failure to adhere to and or enforce covenants and bylaws, concerns regarding maintenance and repairs and failure to notify residents of board actions.
  
  
• Of the total complaints 66% were closed, meaning an adequate business response was received. However, consumers were satisfied with the outcome of the complaint resolution process in 13 complaints. Some of the satisfactory resolutions included refunds, credits and adjustments being issued; requested financial information being provided and repairs or maintenance being made.
  
  
• The report shows that 10% of complaints were closed as “abandoned” because the ones who made the complaints failed to submit the required HOA supplemental questionnaire. Another 19% were closed as “undetermined” because of disputed facts.
  
  
• “A majority of these complaints were complex in nature and concerned the transfer of the HOA from the developer to residents, fair elections and misappropriation of funds, among other issues,” the department states.
  
  
• Complaints closed as “unsatisfied” due to a business’ failure to respond accounted for less than 6% of the total, the report states.
  
  

This story was originally published February 7, 2023 at 5:30 AM.

Patrick McCreless

The State

803-771-8353

Patrick McCreless is the Southeast service journalism editor for McClatchy, who leads and edits a team of six reporters in South Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi. The team writes about trending news of the day and topics that help readers in their daily lives and better informs them about their communities. He attended Jacksonville State University in Alabama and grew up in Tuscaloosa, AL.