- 45-minute case review
- $150
- Per phase, before it starts
- 1budget
- About how it will end
- 0promises
A failed closing, a disputed boundary, a co-owner who won't agree. We start with the documents and the cheapest path to an answer.
Property disputes are expensive and slow, so we look for the shortest honest path first: a letter, a meeting with a surveyor, a mediation. Some disputes do need a court. When they do, you get a phase-by-phase budget before each phase starts.
We can't tell you how a case will end, and we won't. We can tell you what the documents say, what the law usually looks at, what each path costs, and where similar disputes tend to land.
Tidemark's attorneys are licensed in South Carolina only. This site explains how things usually work in South Carolina. Real estate rules differ from state to state.
Example matters, including the ones that went the other way
-
Example outcome
Settled at mediation
Earnest money after a buyer walked away
A seller kept the house on the market for a buyer who backed out a week before closing. One mediation session split the deposit. Neither side got all of it.
-
Example outcome
Resolved by agreement
A shared driveway with no written easement
Two neighbors had used one driveway for thirty years. A survey and a recorded easement agreement settled who maintains what, without a lawsuit.
-
Example outcome
Buyout instead of a sale
Inherited land with eleven co-owners
Family members disagreed about selling. After mapping every heir's share, two relatives bought out the others over time and the land stayed in the family.
-
Example outcome
Lost at trial
A fence line against a long-standing survey
Our client believed an older survey put the line further over. The court accepted the neighbor's survey. The client moved the fence and we closed the file.
Example matters are illustrations written for this demo, not real cases. Every dispute turns on its own facts and documents. Past results do not predict or guarantee a future result.
What we handle
-
Failed closings
A buyer or seller who walked away, and what the contract says should happen next.
-
Earnest money disputes
Who gets the deposit when a deal falls apart, and how to get it released.
-
Boundary and easement disputes
Fences, driveways, drainage and access, read against surveys, plats and deeds.
-
Partition actions
Co-owners, often family, who can't agree whether to keep or sell. We look at buyouts before a forced sale.
-
Quiet title
Court actions to settle ownership when the record can't be fixed with paperwork.
-
Construction liens
Mechanic's liens on property after a contractor dispute, for owners and for contractors.
Call us when
The earlier we see the paperwork, the cheaper and calmer it tends to be.
Book a consultation- The other side missed a closing date and won't respond
- You received a demand letter or court papers about property
- A neighbor built over the line or blocked an easement
- Family co-owners disagree about selling inherited land
- A contractor filed a lien on your property
Fees
Litigation is billed hourly against a written budget for each phase. We tell you before a phase starts what it is likely to cost and why.
Example figures for this demo
Case review
45 minutes, credited if you hire us
$150 Flat fee
Demand letter
Review of documents and one letter
$450 to $750 Flat fee
Mediation preparation and attendance
Half-day mediation
$1,500 to $3,000 Written quote
Litigation
Budgeted by phase, billed hourly
$325 to $395 Per hour
Questions about real estate litigation
Will I win?
No honest lawyer can promise that. We tell you what the documents show, the strong and weak points on both sides, and what each option costs. Many disputes settle; some are lost. You decide with the full picture.
Do I have to go to court?
Often not. Many property disputes end with a letter, a survey meeting or a mediation. When a court case is the right path, we say so and explain why.
Is there a deadline to act?
Often, yes. Contracts and statutes set time limits, some short. If you have received court papers, call the day you get them.
This page is general information about South Carolina real estate, not legal advice for your situation. Laws change, rules differ by state and facts matter. Reading it does not make Tidemark your lawyer.
Other practice areas
Talk it through before it gets bigger.
Tell us the property, the deadline and who is involved. We reply within one business day with a written flat fee or a time to talk.