South Carolina has enacted a new law to protect families with heirs' properties from forced sales due to rising taxes. The Heirs' Property Tax Relief Act, signed by Governor Henry McMaster on 15 May, prevents counties from reassessing property values when heirs clear their titles or resolve ownership disputes.
Heirs' property refers to land inherited by multiple owners not listed on the title, a situation common among Gullah Geechee people, descendants of enslaved West Africans. Without clear titles, families risk losing their homes through tax auctions, predatory development, or internal conflicts.
The legislation resulted from collaboration between the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation, the Center for Heirs' Property, and Habitat for Humanity. Luana Graves Sellars, founder of the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation, convened a working group of attorneys and officials to draft the bill. Since 2019, her organisation has helped families pay property taxes and hosted will-writing workshops.
Anita Singleton-Prather's family nearly lost their Beaufort land twice due to unpaid taxes. A non-profit and a family friend contributed thousands to save it. She emphasised the importance of making wills to protect property. Herbert Ford's family lost their Hilton Head Island land when an out-of-state relative sold it to a developer in 2018, forcing them to leave.
The working group plans to propose further solutions to lawmakers. Graves Sellars said the act provides relief for families struggling with the financial burden of heirs' property, which often leads to people abandoning their land.
