South Carolina § 12-37-2730 - Penalties; summons.

§ 12-37-2730. Penalties; summons.

(A) It is unlawful for a person to use the treasurer's receipt to obtain a motor vehicle license plate unless all municipal personal property taxes due in the county of his residence on a vehicle now or previously owned by the applicant have been paid. A person who knowingly violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than two hundred dollars. Each day's violation constitutes a separate offense.

The above penalty is in addition to any other penalties prescribed by law for failure to pay municipal taxes.

When a municipality contracts for the collection of its vehicle tax, a receipt for the payment of the taxes must not be issued unless both the county and municipal tax and all other charges included on the tax bill have been paid. The owner of a motor vehicle registered under the International Reciprocity Plan who opts to pay semiannually and fails to pay semiannual payments as provided in this chapter is not permitted to relicense the vehicle until all taxes are paid and shall forfeit any further privilege to pay semiannually.

(B) To enforce the collection of personal property taxes and vehicle registration laws of this State, a code enforcement officer may issue an ordinance summons to a person the officer believes has failed to remit property taxes to the appropriate taxing entity or a person he believes has failed to comply fully with the vehicle registration laws of this State. However, a code enforcement officer may not stop a vehicle that is in motion to issue an ordinance summons pursuant to this section. A fine imposed pursuant to this section may not exceed the criminal jurisdiction of the magistrates' court. A magistrate shall dismiss an ordinance summons issued pursuant to this subsection upon a showing by the person summoned of proper registration and the payment of current and delinquent property taxes before the court hearing date set in the summons.

HISTORY: 1980 Act No. 405, SECTION 14; 1987 Act No. 188, SECTION 3; 2005 Act No. 145, SECTION 48, eff June 7, 2005.