(A) At any stage of a proceeding under this article where it appears to the court that personal jurisdiction may not be obtained over an absent party or where a party refuses to comply with an order of the court, the court may, upon appropriate petition, order the sequestration of that party’s real and personal property which is within this State. The court may also appoint a sequestrator and, by injunction or otherwise, authorize the sequestrator to take the property into possession and control. In the case of an absent party, the court may appoint the party residing in this State as sequestator.

(B) The property sequestered and the income from it may be applied in whole or in part, at the direction of the court and as justice may require, so as to achieve an equitable apportionment of property as set forth in this article.

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 20-3-650

  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Sequester: To separate. Sometimes juries are sequestered from outside influences during their deliberations.
  • Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.

(C) Additionally, the court, in its discretion, if the property and income from it which may be sequestered is insufficient to pay what is required, may, upon terms and conditions as it considers in the interests of justice, direct the mortgaging of or the public or private sale of a sufficient amount of the sequestered property to pay what is required.

(D) The family court in which the action is filed has jurisdiction and venue to sequester property located within this State.

(E) The remedies in this section are cumulative to all other remedies which may be available to the parties.

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