Horry County Unclaimed Money Search
Horry County is home to more unclaimed money than many South Carolina residents realize. The county has identified over $173,000 in unclaimed tax refunds at the local level alone, separate from the much larger pool held by the State Treasurer. With a fast-growing population along the Grand Strand from Myrtle Beach to North Myrtle Beach, new residents and long-term locals alike often leave behind dormant accounts, forgotten deposits, and uncashed checks. Searching is free. The state holds every dollar until you claim it.
Horry County Quick Facts
Horry County Unclaimed Tax Refunds and Local Funds
Horry County has identified more than $173,000 in unclaimed tax refunds that belong to current and former residents. These are funds the county collected but could not return because the taxpayer's address changed or the check went uncashed. If you have paid property taxes in Horry County in recent years and moved or refinanced, you may have an uncollected refund on record. The Horry County Treasurer, Angie Jones, oversees these accounts from her office at 1301 2nd Ave, Conway, SC 29526. Her office can be reached at (843) 915-5470 or through horrycounty.org.
The Horry County Auditor, Tina Hardee, manages property assessments and personal property billing. Her office is also at 1301 2nd Ave and can be reached at (843) 915-5050. Visit horrycounty.org/Government/Departments/Auditor for more detail. If your vehicle registration was cancelled, you sold a vehicle, or you moved mid-year, a credit may exist on your personal property account that has not been applied or refunded. The Auditor's office can pull your account history and clarify whether any balance is owed to you.
Delinquent Tax Collector Crystal Montgomery handles accounts in arrears and manages the tax sale process. Her office at (843) 915-8700 can be useful if you are trying to resolve old tax accounts before claiming a credit. Information is available through horrycounty.org/Government/Departments/Delinquent-Tax.
Note: County-level unclaimed tax refunds are separate from unclaimed property held by the State Treasurer, so residents should check both sources.
South Carolina State Unclaimed Property Search
The South Carolina State Treasurer holds unclaimed property for all residents, including those in Horry County. The official search portal is at southcarolina.findyourunclaimedproperty.com. The image below comes from that site.
The portal lets you search by name for any property reported to the state. You can use a current name, former name, or business name. Results may include bank accounts, insurance proceeds, utility deposits, and other property types from holders across South Carolina.
The SC Treasurer's full program page is at treasurer.sc.gov. You can also call 803-737-4771 with questions. More than $420 million has been returned to South Carolina residents since the current program administration took over, with $36.7 million returned in a single recent year. Horry County's large and mobile population means many residents have property waiting to be found.
Horry County Clerk of Court Records
The Horry County Clerk of Court, Renee Elvis, maintains official court records including civil judgments, estate filings, and other matters that can relate to unclaimed money. Her office is at 1301 2nd Ave, PO Box 677, Conway, SC 29526, and can be reached at (843) 915-5080. More information is available at horrycounty.org/Government/Departments/Clerk-of-Court. Court records are relevant when property was awarded in a legal proceeding but never collected by the winner or their heirs.
The US Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina also holds unclaimed funds from closed bankruptcy cases. These are separate from state unclaimed property. Search the court's records at scb.uscourts.gov/unclaimed-funds or call 803-765-5436. Horry County residents who have gone through bankruptcy proceedings should check both sources to make sure no funds are waiting.
Types of Unclaimed Money Found in Horry County
Horry County's tourism economy and rapid growth create unique conditions for unclaimed property. Seasonal residents and short-term renters often leave behind utility deposits when they move on. Hotel and rental property workers frequently have uncashed payroll checks from employers who lost contact after a job ended. The large number of people who move to the Myrtle Beach area each year means many come from other states and may have unclaimed property in South Carolina that they are not aware of yet.
Standard types of unclaimed property in Horry County include dormant bank accounts, life insurance policy proceeds, annuity payments, stock dividends, and escrow account refunds from mortgage payoffs. The SC dormancy table at southcarolina.findyourunclaimedproperty.com/app/dormancy-table shows how long each type must be dormant before being reported to the state.
Business owners in the Myrtle Beach area should also search under their business names. Commercial accounts, security deposits on commercial leases, and vendor overpayments can all end up as unclaimed property. If you have owned or operated a business in Horry County, running a business name search is a worthwhile step.
Note: Searching under all variations of your name, including initials and common misspellings, gives the most thorough results on the state portal.
SC Law Governing Horry County Unclaimed Funds
South Carolina's unclaimed property law is codified in SC Code Title 27, Chapter 18. This statute sets dormancy periods for every type of property, outlines the annual reporting and remittance process, and describes the rights of owners. The law applies equally to property tied to Horry County addresses as to anywhere else in the state. Holders who fail to comply are subject to penalties, which the Treasurer's office enforces through audits.
Before turning over property, holders must go through a 120-day due diligence process to try to locate owners. This requirement is outlined in Section 27-18-180, which you can read at Justia's SC code page. If you receive a letter from a financial institution saying your account may be turned over to the state, that is this notice in action. Responding quickly allows you to prevent the transfer and keep your account active.
The image below is from the SC State Treasurer's dormancy table page at southcarolina.findyourunclaimedproperty.com/app/dormancy-table.
Reviewing the dormancy table helps Horry County residents understand exactly when their property becomes eligible for transfer to the state and when to expect it to appear in the search portal.
Cities in Horry County SC
Horry County stretches from the coastal resort areas around Myrtle Beach inland to Conway and Loris. Residents across the county search the same state portal for unclaimed property held by South Carolina.
Nearby Counties
Horry County borders Georgetown, Marion, and Dillon counties in South Carolina. Residents who have moved between these areas should check each county's associated resources for unclaimed property.