The bill H. 3050 proposes an amendment to Section 22-3-10 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, which pertains to the civil jurisdiction of magistrates' courts. The primary change involves increasing the civil jurisdiction limit from "seventy-five hundred dollars" to "seventy-five thousand five hundred dollars" across various categories of civil actions. This includes actions related to contracts, damages for personal or property injury, penalties, attachments, surety bonds, judgments, landlord-tenant disputes, and interpleader actions concerning earnest money from real estate contracts.

The bill aims to enhance the capacity of magistrates' courts to handle a broader range of civil cases by allowing them to adjudicate claims up to the newly specified limit. This change is intended to streamline the judicial process by enabling more cases to be resolved at the magistrate level rather than being escalated to higher courts, thereby improving access to justice for individuals and businesses in South Carolina. The act will take effect upon approval by the Governor.

Statutes affected:
12/05/2024: 22-3-10
Latest Version: 22-3-10
12/06/2024: 22-3-10