Self-represented Procedures

Procedures for Supplementary Proceedings (Judgment Enforcement)

If you decide to bring a lawsuit in a South Carolina court without an attorney, you are responsible for researching the law on your own. As a self-represented plaintiff in a supplementary proceeding it is your responsibility to “serve” the defendant(s) or debtor with notice of the pending hearing.

If the defendant(s) is a business:

  • You will need to determine the registered agent in order to serve legal documents on a business entity such as a corporation or limited liability company (“LLC”).
  • The registered agent can be searched on the South Carolina Secretary of State website under the Business Entities page.

Service of Process

There are several ways service of process can be accomplished:

Richland County Sheriff

The Civil Process Division of the Richland County Sherriff’s Department located at 2500 Decker Blvd., Columbia, SC 29206 can serve process for you. Certain fees are required by statute and must be paid prior to any attempt of service.

After service is effected, a notarized affidavit of service must be returned to you by the Richland County Civil Process Division. It is your duty to file the original affidavit with the County Clerk of Court’s office at the Richland County Judicial Center, located at 1701 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC 29201.

Private Process Server

A Private Process Server – can be found on the white pages online. There are fees associated with using a private process server. After service is effected, a notarized affidavit of service must be returned to you by the private process server. It is your duty to file the original affidavit with the County Clerk of Court’s office at the Richland County Judicial Center, located at 1701 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC 29201.

Certified Mail

Service can be effected by Certified Mail, Restricted Delivery, Return Receipt requested through the US Postal Office. You should then complete an affidavit in front of a notary that states the date you mailed the documents and the address you used. The notary must witness you signing the Affidavit of Mailing. Attach the green return receipt card to the notarized affidavit and file it with the County Clerk of Court’s office at the Richland County Judicial Center, located at 1701 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC 29201.

All Rule to Show Cause Hearings, including those for writs of assistance, require personal service either through the Richland County Sherriff’s office or by a private process server.

Hearing Procedures

At the hearing you will have the opportunity to ask questions of the defendant/debtor, while under oath, in order to learn of assets that can be used to pay the judgment debt. However, having won a judgment against another is no guarantee the debt will be satisfied. In most cases, the judgment is good for a period of ten years.

Bench Warrant

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department will need the following information about the defendant/debtor to execute a bench warrant.

  1. Date of Birth
  2. Race
  3. Weight
  4. Height
  5. Social Security Number
  6. Driver License
  7. Current Home Address
  8. Work Address

Additional Resources

To find an attorney who practices law in debt collection, please contact the South Carolina Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service at 1-800-868-2284 (Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) or on their website. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may contact the South Carolina Legal Aid Telephone Intake Service at 1-888-346-5592 or on their website at https://sclegal.org.

Schedule a Hearing

Please submit the following original documents and certified funds in order to schedule a hearing in the Master in Equity court:

  1. Execution Against Property (with Nulla Bona stamp on back)
  2. Richland County Sheriff’s Letter
  3. Judgment
  4. 25.00 dollars made payable to the Richland County Clerk of Court
  5. 25.00 dollars made payable to the Richland County Master In Equity

Please contact Deloris Ellison for a hearing date and time 803-576-1901 or email ellison.deloris@richlandcountysc.gov.

In This Section

Master-in-Equity

Phone

803-576-1900

Fax

803-576-1865

Staff

Sebrina Sheffield
803-576-1904

Fristella Cornelius
803-576-1905

Deloris Ellison
803-576-1901

Andria Dreher
803-576-1918

Location

Richland County Central Court
2500 Decker Blvd.
Courtroom 1
Columbia, SC 29206

Office Hours

Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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