Foreclosure help and attorney referrals in Columbia, SC

Government & regulatory

This is general information, not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.

• South Carolina Attorney General's Office – Legal Services Division

  State office that pursues legal enforcement action, including against foreclosure-rescue scam operators, and refers individual consumer complaints to SCDCA.

  Visit website →

• South Carolina Judicial Branch – Foreclosure Intervention Program

  Court-administered program, created by a May 2, 2011 Supreme Court Administrative Order, that gives eligible homeowners in a pending mortgage foreclosure case the right to a structured settlement discussion (loan modification, short sale, deed in lieu, etc.) with the lender before the case proceeds.

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• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – Housing Counseling

  Federal agency that funds a nationwide network of HUD-approved housing counseling agencies, several serving Columbia, SC, offering free counseling on mortgage delinquency, loan modification, and foreclosure prevention.

  Visit website → Phone: (800) 569-4287, TTY (800) 877-8339

• South Carolina Housing (SC State Housing Finance and Development Authority)

  State housing finance agency; its SC HELP mortgage-assistance program is now permanently closed to new applicants, but the agency continues to post current homeowner resources and links.

  Visit website → 300-C Outlet Pointe Boulevard, Columbia, SC 29210

Industry & professional associations

• South Carolina Bar

  Statewide organization that administers attorney admission, ethics, and discipline matters (licensing itself comes from the SC Supreme Court) and runs public-facing legal resources.

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• South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service

  A public service of the South Carolina Bar that connects consumers with qualified, prescreened attorneys, including for foreclosure and real estate matters; participating lawyers charge no more than $50 for an initial 30-minute consultation.

  Visit website → Phone: (803) 799-7100

Consumer protection

This is general information only. Follow each body's official guidance for your situation.

• South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA)

  State regulatory and consumer-protection agency that publishes homeowner and foreclosure FAQs, mortgage-fraud guidance, and handles consumer complaints, including foreclosure-rescue scam complaints.

  Visit website → Phone: (800) 922-1594 (toll-free in SC) or (803) 734-4200 293 Greystone Boulevard, Suite 400, Columbia, SC 29210 (mailing: PO Box 5757, Columbia, SC 29250-5757)

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

  Federal agency that regulates mortgage servicers, enforces foreclosure-related servicing protections, and accepts individual consumer complaints about mortgage and foreclosure issues.

  Visit website → Phone: (855) 411-2372

Legal help

This is general information, not legal advice. Speak to a qualified professional about your specific situation.

• South Carolina Legal Services (SCLS)

  Nonprofit legal-aid organization providing free civil legal help to eligible low-income South Carolinians, including evaluating options to avoid foreclosure and representing homeowners sued in foreclosure.

  Visit website → Phone: 1-888-346-5592 (toll-free) or 1-803-744-9430 (Columbia area)

• LawHelp.org / South Carolina

  Legal-aid directory and online intake portal used to connect South Carolina residents, including in Columbia, with free or low-cost legal aid organizations.

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Support organisations

This is general information, not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.

• Homeownership Preservation Foundation (995Hope)

  National nonprofit operating the free Homeowner's HOPE Hotline for confidential, HUD-approved-style foreclosure prevention counseling in over 200 languages.

  Visit website → Phone: 1-888-995-HOPE (4673)