A South Carolina homeowners’ association (HOA) stunned residents by announcing firearms would no longer be permitted in “shared property” areas, a Myrtle Beach TV station reported.
The management of Forest Pines Condominiums announced that the complex’s pool, clubhouse, sidewalks and parking areas would be among the places where firearms, whether openly or concealed, would no longer be permitted, according to WMBF News. The ban caused a backlash from residents, who questioned the legality of the decision.
“What if I go out at night and I’m like walking, so if I get mugged, are they now financially responsible because I was not permitted to protect myself in the middle of the street?” an unidentified female resident asked WMBF News after receiving the email.
“We’re not in an apartment building where you have a lobby that you have to walk through. No, it’s my house. I don’t rent it; I own it,” the resident added.
State law requires that certain signs need to be posted in order for concealed carry to be prohibited, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. The HOA has not posted any signs prohibiting firearms, WMBF News reported.
“South Carolina is a constitutional carry state, like you can’t do that, and there is literally no signage at the pool, there’s no signage at the clubhouse, there’s no signage anywhere, and they can’t tell somebody where you can or cannot carry your gun in the neighborhood,” the resident said.
South Carolina became a constitutional carry state in 2024, after Republican Gov. Henry McMaster signed the legislation into law. Prior to that, it was a “shall issue” state when it came to concealed weapons permits.
A similar ban by a HOA in Florida drew fire from Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier in May.
CAMS Management, the company running the HOA of Forest Homes Condominiums, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Republican South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and Republican South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette did not immediately respond when reached for comment by the DCNF.
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unenforceable, how will they know if a concealed carry is there?