2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 56 - Motor Vehicles › Chapter 9 - Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Act › Section 56-9-570. Bond as proof; qualifications of sureties; bond as lien on real estate of individual sureties; action on bond.

Proof of financial responsibility may be evidenced by the bond of a surety company duly authorized to transact business within this State or a bond with at least two individual sureties, each owning real estate within this State and together having equities equal in value to at least twice the amount of the bond, which real estate shall be scheduled in the bond approved by a judge of a court of record, which bond shall be conditioned for payment of the amounts specified in item (13) of Section 56-9-20. The bond shall be filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles and shall not be cancelable except after ten days' written notice to the Department. The bond shall constitute a lien in favor of the State upon the real estate scheduled of any surety. Such lien shall exist in favor of any holder of a final judgment against the person who has filed the bond for damages, including damages for care and loss of services, because of bodily injury to or death of any person or for damage because of injury to or destruction of property, including the loss of use thereof, resulting from the ownership, maintenance, use or operation of a motor vehicle after the bond was filed, upon the filing of notice to that effect by the Department in the office of the proper clerk of court of the county or city where the real estate shall be located. Any surety scheduling real estate security shall furnish satisfactory evidence of title and the nature and extent of all encumbrances thereon and the value of the surety's interest therein in the manner which the judge of the court of record may require. The notice filed by the Department shall, in addition to other matters which are considered to be pertinent by the Department, contain a legal description of the real estate scheduled, the name of the holder of the record title, the amount for which it stands as security and the name of the person in whose behalf proof is being made. Upon the filing of the notice, the clerk of court shall retain it as part of the records of the court and shall enter upon the record the date and hour of filing, the name of the surety, the name of the titleholder of record, the description of the real estate and a notation that a lien is charged on the real estate pursuant to the notice filed under this section.
If a judgment rendered against the principal on the bond shall not be satisfied within sixty days after it has become final, the judgment creditor may for his own use and benefit and at his sole expense bring an action in the name of the State against the company or persons executing the bond, including an action or proceeding to foreclose any lien that may exist upon the real estate of a person who executed the bond. An action to foreclose any lien upon real estate scheduled by any surety under the provisions of this section shall be brought in the same manner as is provided for the foreclosure of real estate mortgages in this State.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 46-750; 1952 (47) 1853.