Section B
Code Enforcement Officer
To lodge a complaint against a registered Code Enforcement Officer (CEO), an online complaint form must be completed and the charges sworn or attested to by the person alleging them. The Complaint Form must be mailed to the Office of Investigations and Enforcement (OIE) along with sufficient documentation to support the allegations.
Upon receipt of the complaint form and all supporting documentation, OIE staff will analyze the documents and determine if the information meets the criterion necessary to lodge a formal complaint. If the complaint is valid, based on the criterion established by statute, a case number will be assigned to the complaint and the respondent will be given the opportunity to answer all charges.
Once a case is opened, the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) becomes the complainant and will seek disciplinary action against the CEO. Depending on the nature of the charges, the case may be handled administratively, by an Investigative Review Committee or in a public hearing. If a hearing is necessary, the Building Codes Council (BCC) will judge the case in a public forum at which time the original complainant may be required to testify as a witness for
LLR.
The BCC has the power to discipline a registered CEO upon determination that the person has:
1) been convicted of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude in any court of competent jurisdiction;
2) obtained certification or registration through fraud, deceit or perjury;
3) defrauded the public or attempted to do so;
4) displayed incompetence, negligence or misconduct in the practice of code enforcement;
5) refused, failed or displayed the inability to enforce any building code, local ordinance or state or federal law within his/her responsibility; or,
6) violated or aided or abetted any person in violation of any provision of the CEO act or regulations.
When submitting a complaint against a CEO, it is important that convincing evidence and/or documentation to support one or more of the six items listed above be submitted by the original complainant.
Questions concerning the Complaint Form, the information contained herein or the complaint process may be directed to Office of Investigation and Enforcement staff at: (803) 896-4470.
NOTE! Personal information provided on this complaint form may be subject to public scrutiny or release under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act or other provisions of federal and state law.