reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
SC Code § 5-1-90 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 1 - Incorporation|Section 5-1-90. Certificate of incorporation effective upon election of municipal officers.

 The certificate of incorporation must be issued to the commissioners who immediately shall provide for the election of municipal officers pursuant to Chapter 15 and in accordance with the certificate as to form of government. Until the municipal officers are elected and qualify, the certificate of incorporation does not become effective and the powers of the municipality must be exercised only by the municipal council when the municipal council is created by election.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-8; 1975 (59) 692; 2005 Act No. 77, Section 1, eff July 1, 2005.  Effect of Amendment  The 2005 amendment made nonsubstantive changes.
SC Code § 5-1-100 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 1 - Incorporation|Section 5-1-100. Forfeiture, surrender or cancellation of certificate.

 (A) When following its incorporation a municipality's population has decreased to less than fifty inhabitants, the certificate of the municipality must be automatically forfeited and void. If a majority of the registered electors of a municipality files a petition requesting the municipal certificate be surrendered with the municipal council, the council shall order an election to determine the question, at which election all qualified electors of the municipality must be permitted to vote, and if two-thirds of those voting vote in favor of surrendering the certificate, the council shall certify the result to the Secretary of State, who shall cancel the certificate issued to the municipality.  (B) If the Secretary of State determines that any previously incorporated municipality is neither performing municipal services nor collecting taxes or other revenues and has not held an election during the past four years, he shall cancel the certificate of the municipality.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-9; 1975 (59) 692; 2005 Act No. 77, Section 1, eff July 1, 2005.  Effect of Amendment  The 2005 amendment made nonsubstantive language changes.
SC Code § 5-1-110 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 1 - Incorporation|Section 5-1-110. Time limit for bringing suit challenging incorporation procedures of municipal corporation.

 A suit to challenge the incorporation procedures of a municipal corporation pursuant to the provisions of Chapters 1 through 17 must be brought within sixty days after the issuance of the certificate of incorporation.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-10; 1975 (59) 692; 2005 Act No. 77, Section 1, eff July 1, 2005.  Effect of Amendment  The 2005 amendment made nonsubstantive changes.
SC Code § 5-3-10 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-10. Power to extend corporate limits.

 Any city or town council may extend the corporate limits of the municipality in the manner set forth in this chapter.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-11; 1952 Code Section 47-11; 1942 Code Section 7230; 1932 Code Section 7230; Civ. C. '22 Section 4385; Civ. C. '12 Section 2991; Civ. C. '02 Section 1997; 1896 (22) 82; 1897 (22) 459; 1901 (23) 658; 1948 (45) 1974; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-15 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-15. Municipality may not annex certain property.

 No municipality may annex, under the provisions of this chapter, any real property owned by an airport district composed of more than one county without prior written approval of the governing body of the district.  HISTORY: 1995 Act No. 99, Section 1; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-20 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-20. Municipality may not annex real property owned by professional sports team.

 No municipality may annex, under the provisions of this chapter, any real property owned by a professional sports team as defined in Section 12-6-3360(M)(17) without prior written consent of the professional sports team.  HISTORY: 2019 Act No. 83 (H.4243), Section 4, eff May 22, 2019.  Editor's Note  2019 Act No. 83, Section 9.B, provides as follows:  "B. The provisions of Sections 4-9-30 and 5-7-30 relating to a professional sports team, and the provisions of Section 5-3-20 only apply so long as the job and payroll provisions of Section 12-6-3360(M)(17) and (P) continue to be met by the professional sports team."
SC Code § 5-3-30 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-30. Consolidation of two or more municipal corporations without petition.

 When two or more municipal corporations propose to consolidate, no petition shall be required and each municipal corporation desiring to consolidate may call for the election hereinafter provided by ordinance.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-12.1; 1971 (57) 413; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-40 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-40. Agreement upon terms of consolidation.

 Whenever it is proposed to extend the corporate limits of any municipality by inclusion of territory of another adjacent municipality in whole or in part, the governing bodies of the municipalities may, after public hearing, stipulate and agree upon terms of consolidation or boundary adjustment by ordinance adopted by each municipality, which shall be binding upon the enlarged municipality, and the consolidation or adjustment shall be effective on the date of adoption of the final ordinance.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-13; 1952 Code Section 47-13; 1942 Code Section 7231; 1932 Code Section 7231; Civ. C. '22 Section 4386; Civ. C. '12 Section 2992; 1911 (27) 22; 1996 Act No. 412, Section 1; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-90 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-90. Filing notice with Secretary of State, Department of Transportation, and Department of Public Safety.

 Any municipality increasing its territory shall file a notice with the Secretary of State, Department of Transportation, and the Department of Public Safety describing its new boundaries. The notice shall include a written description of the boundary, along with a map or plat which clearly defines the new territory added.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-18; 1952 Code Section 47-18; 1942 Code Section 7230; 1932 Code Section 7230; Civ. C. '22 Section 4385; Civ. C. '12 Section 2991; Civ. C. '02 Section 1997; 1896 (22) 82; 1897 (22) 459; 1901 (23) 658; 1948 (45) 1974; 1968 (55) 2590; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 59; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-100 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-100. Alternate method when entire area owned by annexing municipality or county.

 If the territory proposed to be annexed belongs entirely to the municipality seeking its annexation and is adjacent thereto, the territory may be annexed by resolution of the governing body of the municipality. When the territory proposed to be annexed to the municipality belongs entirely to the county in which the municipality is located and is adjacent thereto, it may be annexed by resolution of the governing body of the municipality and the governing body of the county. Upon the adoption of the resolutions required by this section and the passage of an ordinance to that effect by the municipality, the annexation is complete.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-18.1; 1955 (49) 270; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-110 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-110. Annexation of right-of-way area of street lying beyond but abutting on corporate limits.

 Whenever the whole or any part of any street, roadway, or highway has been accepted for and is under permanent public maintenance by a city, a county, or the Department of Transportation, that portion of any right-of-way area not exceeding the width thereof lying beyond but abutting on the corporate limits of the city may be annexed to and incorporated within the city by adoption of an ordinance so declaring, without necessity for election of any sort, upon prior consent in writing of any public agency other than the city engaged in maintenance of the right-of-way area to be annexed. Consent on behalf of the Department of Transportation may be given by the director. Consent on behalf of any county may be given by its county commissioners, county board of directors, or other local county agency or governing body having jurisdiction over county roads.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-18.2; 1971 (57) 299; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 60; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-115 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-115. Annexation of property within a multicounty park.

 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any real property which is or has been included within a multicounty park under Section 4-1-170 and title to which is held by the State of South Carolina, may be annexed only upon approval by the State Fiscal Accountability Authority.  HISTORY: 1995 Act No. 4, Section 2; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.  Code Commissioner's Note  At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1), effective July 1, 2015.
SC Code § 5-3-120 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-120. Alternate method when entire area proposed to be annexed owned by corporation.

 If the entire area proposed to be annexed belongs to a corporation only, it may be annexed on the petition of the stockholders of the corporation. Upon agreement of the governing body of the municipality to accept the petition and the passage of an ordinance to that effect by the municipality, the annexation is complete.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-19; 1952 Code Section 47-19; 1942 Code Section 7230; 1932 Code Section 7230; Civ. C. '22 Section 4385; Civ. C. '12 Section 2991; Civ. C. '02 Section 1997; 1896 (22) 82; 1897 (22) 459; 1901 (23) 658; 1948 (45) 1974; 1964 (53) 1810; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-130 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-130. Alternate method when entire area proposed to be annexed owned by school district.

 If the area proposed to be annexed belongs entirely to a school district, it may be annexed upon the petition of the board of trustees of the school district to the city or town council. Upon agreement of the city or town council to accept the petition and the passage of an ordinance to that effect, the annexation is complete.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-19.1; 1953 (48) 221; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-140 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-140. Alternate method when entire area proposed to be annexed owned by Federal or State Government.

 If the territory proposed to be annexed belongs entirely to the federal government or to the State of South Carolina and is adjacent to a municipality, it may be annexed upon the petition of the federal government or of the State to the city or town council thereof. As used in this section, a petition by the State shall mean a petition executed by the State Fiscal Accountability Authority. Upon agreement of the city or town council to accept the petition and the passage of an ordinance to that effect, the annexation is complete.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-19.2; 1967 (55) 952; 1971 (57) 798; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.  Code Commissioner's Note  At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1), effective July 1, 2015.
SC Code § 5-3-155 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-155. Rules for annexation of certain properties by municipalities.

 An area in this State located more than twelve miles from the Atlantic Ocean, which is a peninsula being predominately industrial in character, separating a freshwater reservoir from a body of brackish water subject to tidal influences, and created by the construction of a manmade canal and manmade dam, may be annexed by a municipality only under the provisions of Section 5-3-150.  HISTORY: 1979 Act No. 194, Part III, Section 2; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-210 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-210. Subsequent election after defeat of annexation election.

 When an annexation election is defeated either by the voters inside the municipality concerned or within the territory proposed to be annexed, or both, another annexation election within the territory proposed to be annexed shall not be initiated within a period of twenty-four months from the date upon which the voting took place.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-19.16; 1963 (53) 264; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-235 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-235. Assessed value of any single freeholder's real property not to exceed twenty-five percent of assessed value of existing municipality; exceptions.

 Except when the procedures for an annexation provided for in Sections 5-3-100, 5-3-110, 5-3-120, 5-3-130, 5-3-140, and 5-3-150 are followed, the assessed value of real property of any single freeholder to be annexed, as defined in Section 5-3-240, shall not at the time of a proposed annexation exceed twenty-five percent of the assessed value of real property of the existing area of a municipality.  HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 464; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-240 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-240. "Freeholder" defined for purposes of pertinent provisions.

 For the purposes of Sections 5-3-150, 5-3-280, and 5-3-300 , a "freeholder" is defined as any person eighteen years of age, or older, and any firm or corporation, who or which owns legal title to a present possessory interest in real estate equal to a life estate or greater (expressly excluding leaseholds, easements, equitable interests, inchoate rights, dower rights, and future interests) and who owns, at the date of the petition or of the referendum, at least an undivided one-tenth interest in a single tract and whose name appears on the county tax records as an owner of real estate.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-19.19; 1963 (53) 264; 1976 Act No. 695, Section 1; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-250 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-250. Extension of corporate limits to include cemeteries.

 Any municipality may extend its corporate limits so as to include any or all cemeteries adjoining the municipality, for the purposes only of police and sanitary measures, by the passage of an ordinance declaring them to be a portion of the municipality. But the inclusion of these cemeteries shall not give to the municipality the right to tax them in any manner.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-20; 1952 Code Section 47-20; 1942 Code Section 7232; 1932 Code Section 7232; Civ. C. '22 Section 4387; Civ. C. '12 Section 2993; Civ. C. '02 Section 1998; 1896 (22) 82; 1897 (22) 459; 1901 (23) 658; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-260 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-260. Annexation of church property.

 Any area owned entirely by an established church or religious group which is contiguous to a municipality may be annexed to the municipality upon the petition of the governing body of the church or religious group being submitted to the governing body of a municipality. Upon agreement of the governing body of the municipality to accept the petition, and the passage of an ordinance to that effect, the annexation is complete.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-21; 1962 (52) 2145; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-270 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-270. Time within which contest on extension of municipal limits must be instituted.

 When the limits of a municipality are ordered extended, no contest thereabout shall be allowed unless the person interested therein files, within sixty days after the result has been published or declared, with both the clerk of the municipality and the clerk of court of the county in which the municipality is located, a notice of his intention to contest the extension, nor unless, within ninety days from the time the result has been published or declared an action is begun and the original summons and complaint filed with the clerk of court of the county in which the municipality is located.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-22; 1952 Code Section 47-22; 1946 (44) 1376; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-280 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-280. Reduction of corporate limits.

 Whenever a petition is presented to a city or town council signed by a majority of the resident freeholders of the municipality asking for a reduction of the corporate limits of the city or town, the council shall order an election after not less than ten days' public advertisement. This advertisement shall describe the territory that is proposed to be cut off. If a majority of the qualified electors vote at the election in favor of the release of the territory, the council must issue an ordinance declaring the territory no longer a portion of the municipality and must notify the Secretary of State of the new boundaries of the municipality.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-23; 1952 Code Section 47-23; 1942 Code Section 7232; 1932 Code Section 7232; Civ. C. '22 Section 4387; Civ. C. '12 Section 2993; Civ. C. '02 Section 1998; 1896 (22) 82; 1897 (22) 459; 1901 (23) 658; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-285 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-285. Removal of territory from within corporate limits of municipality.

 Territory proposed to be removed from within the corporate limits of a municipality which is owned entirely by that municipality may be removed from within the corporate limits by ordinance of the governing body of the municipality. Territory proposed to be removed from within the corporate limits of a municipality which is owned entirely by a county or jointly by a county and a municipality may be removed from within the corporate limits by ordinance of the governing body of the municipality upon receipt of a resolution from the county governing body requesting the removal.  HISTORY: 1997 Act No. 9, Section 1; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-290 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-290. "Municipality" defined.

 The word "municipality" as used in this chapter shall be construed to mean any incorporated city or town located within this State.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-24; 1952 Code Section 47-24; 1942 Code Section 7230; 1932 Code Section 7230; Civ. C. '22 Section 4385; Civ. C. '12 Section 2991; Civ. C. '02 Section 1997; 1896 (22) 82; 1897 (22) 459; 1901 (23) 658; 1948 (45) 1974; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-305 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-305. Contiguous property defined.

 For purposes of this chapter, "contiguous" means property which is adjacent to a municipality and shares a continuous border. Contiguity is not established by a road, waterway, right-of-way, easement, railroad track, marshland, or utility line which connects one property to another; however, if the connecting road, waterway, easement, railroad track, marshland, or utility line intervenes between two properties, which but for the intervening connector would be adjacent and share a continuous border, the intervening connector does not destroy contiguity.  HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.
SC Code § 5-3-310 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 5 - Municipal Corporations|Chapter 3 - Change Of Corporate Limits|Section 5-3-310. Annexation of special purpose district.

 When all or part of the area of a special purpose district as defined in Section 6-11-1610 or a special taxing district created pursuant to Section 4-9-30 or Section 4-19-10, et seq. or an assessment district created pursuant to Chapter 15 of Title 6, or any other special purpose district or special taxing or assessment district is annexed into a municipality under the provisions of Section 5-3-150 or 5-3-300, the following provisions apply:  (1) At the time of annexation or at any time thereafter the municipality may elect at its sole option to provide the service formerly provided by the district within the annexed area. The transfer of service rights must be made pursuant to a plan formulated under the provisions of Sections 5-3-300 through 5-3-315.  (2) Until the municipality upon reasonable written notice elects to displace the district's service, the district must be allowed to continue providing service within the district's annexed area.  (3) Annexation does not divest the district of any property; however, subject to the provisions of item (4) below, real or tangible personal property located within the area annexed must be transferred to the municipality pursuant to a plan formulated under the provisions of Sections 5-3-300 through 5-3-315.  (4) In any case in which the municipality annexes less than the total service area of the district, the district may, at its sole discretion, retain ownership and control of any asset, within or without the annexed area, used by or intended to be used by residents within the district's unannexed area or used or intended to be used to provide service to residents in the unannexed area of the district.  (5) Upon annexation of less than the total area of the district, the district's boundaries must be modified, if at all, by the plan formulated pursuant to the provisions of Sections 5-3-300 through 5-3-315. The plan must specify the new boundaries of the district.  HISTORY: 1988 Act No. 626, Section 2; 2000 Act No. 250, Section 3.