Bill > S0251

This bill amends South Carolina law to increase the civil jurisdiction of magistrate courts from $7,500 to $15,000. Specifically, the bill expands the types of civil cases that magistrate courts can hear by raising the monetary threshold across multiple categories, including contract disputes, property damage claims, penalty actions, attachment cases, bond-related actions, judgment confessions, fraud claims, personal property recovery, and other civil matters. Magistrate courts, which are lower-level judicial venues designed to handle smaller civil and criminal cases, will now be able to adjudicate legal disputes involving amounts up to $15,000, effectively doubling their previous monetary jurisdiction. The bill ensures that existing legal rights, pending actions, and liabilities are preserved during this jurisdictional change, and it will take effect upon receiving the Governor's approval. This change could potentially provide more accessible and potentially faster judicial resolution for civil disputes within this new monetary range, reducing the burden on higher-level courts and offering a more streamlined judicial process for certain types of civil cases.

Justice

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=0251&session=126&summary=B