Such a lien shall be dissolved unless the person desiring to avail himself thereof, within ninety days after he ceases to labor on or furnish labor or materials for such building or structure, serves upon the owner or, in the event the owner cannot be found, upon the person in possession and files in the office of the register of deeds or clerk of court of the county in which the building or structure is situated a statement of a just and true account of the amount due him, with all just credits given, together with a description of the property intended to be covered by the lien sufficiently accurate for identification, with the name of the owner of the property, if known, which certificate shall be subscribed and sworn to by the person claiming the lien or by someone in his behalf and shall be recorded in a book kept for the purpose by the register or clerk who shall be entitled to the same fees therefor as for recording mortgages of equal length. Provided, that in the event neither the owner nor the person in possession can be located after diligent search, and this fact is verified by affidavit of the sheriff or his deputy, the lien may be preserved by filing the statement together with the affidavit. The delivery on the register or clerk for filing, as provided in this section, shall be and constitute the delivery contemplated with regard to such liens in Title 30 of this Code.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 45-259; 1952 Code Section 45-259; 1942 Code Section 8735; 1932 Code Section 8735; Civ. C. '22 Section 5647; Civ. C. '12 Section 4117; Civ. C. '02 Section 3012; G. S. 2354; R. S. 2469; 1869 (14) 220; 1873 (15) 350; 1884 (18) 822; 1950 (46) 2294; 1957 (50) 180.
Code Commissioner's Note
1997 Act No. 34, Section 1, directed the Code Commissioner to change all references to "Register of Mesne Conveyances" to "Register of Deeds" wherever appearing in the 1976 Code of Laws.
Structure South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 29 - Mortgages and Other Liens
Section 29-5-15. Filing requirements; penalty for frivolous lien.
Section 29-5-22. Reasonable rental value of tools, appliances, machinery, and equipment.
Section 29-5-23. Notice of Project Commencement; location notice; failure to file notice.
Section 29-5-25. Private security guard services at site of real estate improvement.
Section 29-5-26. Landscape services.
Section 29-5-27. Laborer and person defined.
Section 29-5-30. Lien against debtor with life estate or whose estate is less than fee simple.
Section 29-5-50. Lienor's preference over contractor.
Section 29-5-60. Proration of payments among lienors.
Section 29-5-70. Force of lien against existing recorded mortgage.
Section 29-5-80. Notice of nonresponsibility by owner of building or structure.
Section 29-5-90. Dissolution of lien for failure to serve and file statement; contents of statement.
Section 29-5-100. Proceedings not invalidated by inaccuracy of statement of account.
Section 29-5-110. Release of lien upon filing written undertaking and security.
Section 29-5-120. Time for bringing suit to enforce lien; dissolution and release of lien.
Section 29-5-130. Enforcement of certain liens before magistrate's court.
Section 29-5-140. Enforcement of lien by petition to court of common pleas.
Section 29-5-150. Service of petition.
Section 29-5-160. Contents of petition.
Section 29-5-170. Petition filed by multiple lienors.
Section 29-5-180. Amendments of pleadings.
Section 29-5-190. Notice to owner and other creditors.
Section 29-5-200. Notice by publication or other than personal service.
Section 29-5-210. Further notice of suit.
Section 29-5-220. Hearing on claims of lienors.
Section 29-5-230. Questions for jury.
Section 29-5-240. Determination of claims due but not yet payable.
Section 29-5-250. Recovery for part performance.
Section 29-5-260. Sale of premises if lien established.
Section 29-5-270. Sale of part of property.
Section 29-5-280. Notice of sale.
Section 29-5-290. Distribution of proceeds of sale.
Section 29-5-300. Distribution of proceeds by court.
Section 29-5-310. Distribution of surplus.
Section 29-5-320. Prior attaching creditor is preferred.
Section 29-5-330. Distribution of proceeds where there is attaching creditor.
Section 29-5-340. Subsequent attachments.
Section 29-5-350. Attachments intervening between two liens.
Section 29-5-360. Rights of creditors among themselves.
Section 29-5-380. Executor or administrator may enforce creditor's lien.
Section 29-5-390. Suits begun by one creditor may be prosecuted by another.
Section 29-5-400. Allowance of claim and costs of petitioning creditor.
Section 29-5-420. Civil action not barred.