Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Amended

March 26, 2024

H. 3748

Introduced by Reps Caskey, Wooten, Wetmore, Hartnett, Erickson, W. Newton, Pope, Robbins, Mitchell and Yow

S. Printed 03/26/24--H.

Read the first time January 19, 2023

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-11-680, RELATING TO THE UNLAWFUL ALTERATION OR REMOVAL OF BOUNDARY LANDMARKS, SO AS TO CLARIFY THAT THE SECTION PROHIBITS MOVING, ALTERING, DESTROYING, OR REMOVING geodetic control monuments or CERTAIN LAND SURVEYING MONUMENTS, TO UPDATE THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF THIS SECTION, AND TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS.

    Amend Title To Conform

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1.  Section 16-11-680 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

    Section 16-11-680. (A) As used in this section:

       (1) "Geodetic control monuments" means those land surveying monuments which are established by federal, state, local, and private agencies, the position of which monuments on the earth's surface has been fixed by high-order surveying and computation for use by the land surveyors. Such monuments may be in the form of, but are not limited to, metal, disks set in concrete, rock, or some other fixed permanent object, the horizontal and vertical positions of which have been published by the agency which established the monument and made available to the public as well as to land surveyors and engineers for public use.

       (2) "Property corner monuments" means those land surveying monuments which are established by a licensed professional land surveyor to identify property corners or property lines, the location and description of which are made a part of any recorded or unrecorded plat or any instrument pertaining to real property filed in the register of deeds office or other public office of any county of this State. These surveying monuments may be any permanent or semipermanent object or any live or dead tree material including, but not limited to:

           (a) iron or steel pipes, rebars, spikes, nails, scribed marks in concrete, or metal rods;

           (b) concrete markers, including highway right of way markers;

           (c) stone or rock, whether natural or erected;

           (d) trees, stumps, stakes, and marks, including those marks made on trees, concrete, or metal;

           (e) and such other monuments as may be described in plats and instruments of record.

    (B)(1) If anyIt is unlawful for a person shall to knowingly, wilfully, maliciously or fraudulently move cut, fell, alter, destroy, or remove any certain boundary tree or other allowed landmarkgeodetic control monuments or land surveying monuments including, but not limited to, property corner monuments,. Proof of notification to the property owner that a geodetic control device or property corner monument was unintentionally removed, altered, destroyed, or otherwise tampered with is prima facie evidence of non-criminal intent of the acting party. A such person so offending shall be who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not exceedingless than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or imprisoned not exceedingmore than thirty days.

       (2) The provisions of this subsection do not apply to the authorized removal, alteration, destruction, or movement of geodetic control devices or property corner monuments.

SECTION 2.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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