S.C. Code Ann. § 31-15-120
Article provisions are cumulative
Operative Text
Nothing in this article shall be construed to abrogate or impair the powers of the courts or of any department of any municipality to enforce any provisions of its charter or its ordinances or regulations, or to prevent or punish violations thereof and the powers conferred by this article shall be in addition and supplemental to the powers conferred by any other law.
Section 31-15-120 establishes that the powers and authorities created by this article of South Carolina law operate alongside—rather than replacing—any existing powers held by courts, municipal departments, or other governmental bodies. Municipalities retain full authority to enforce their own charters, ordinances, and regulations independently of this article. The provision ensures that the article's grants of authority are additive, meaning no existing legal tool or enforcement mechanism is diminished by the article's existence.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 31-15-120, property owners and managers should be aware that compliance obligations may come from multiple overlapping sources simultaneously—this article does not eliminate or reduce the reach of local municipal ordinances, regulations, or court authority. A compliant operator generally monitors both state-level requirements under this article and any applicable local municipal rules, understanding that both sets of requirements remain fully in force. Operators familiar with one layer of regulation should not assume it displaces the other.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
S.C. Code Ann. § 31-15-120 means that tenants may have recourse through more than one legal avenue when a housing-related violation occurs, since local municipal enforcement powers and court authority remain intact alongside this article's provisions. Tenants can generally raise violations as defenses in court proceedings, file complaints with applicable local municipal departments, or consult a tenant-rights organization to understand which bodies have jurisdiction over a particular issue. The cumulative nature of this provision means that the existence of one enforcement path does not necessarily foreclose others.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 16, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.