Quality of Life Court:  Code Enforcement & Nuisances

The City of Myrtle Beach’s new Quality of Life Court begins in mid-March, with the first hearing scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, 2020.  Charleston and other cities nationwide use a court process like Myrtle Beach’s Quality of Life Court to help create a safer and cleaner community.

OVERVIEW

The court meets regularly at 2:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month to address property maintenance, code enforcement and other nuisances affecting the quality of life for city residents.  Code violations handled through the new court include:

• abandoned vehicles
• illegal dumping
• noise complaints
• overgrown grass, weeds and unkempt property
• signage violations
• zoning violations
• nuisances affecting public health
• nuisances offending public decency, peace and order
• nuisances affecting public welfare and safety
• nuisances affecting public economy
• trash cans left curbside

To learn more about the City of Myrtle Beach's Zoning Code, visit the Planning & Zoning Department webpage.

The summons process begins with police or code enforcement officers writing offense summons for illegal dumping, un-kept property, excessive noise, illegal signs, zoning violations and other nuisance issues.  Then, the summons recipient appears before the court to address it.  

Before the Quality of Life Court, many of these cases followed a “rule to show cause” path which involved a hearing before City Council.  From the first notice of violation to a final resolution by Council, the process took up to six months.  The Quality of Life Court will speed up the resolution of issues, making neighbors and business owners much happier!