(Richland PIO) – Richland County is working to protect property owners’ privacy rights in response to a lawsuit filed by Zillow Inc. The lawsuit, filed in Richland County Circuit Court, requests that the County release personal information about property owners who have opted out of having their details shared online. The County is working to defend residents who want to keep their personal information private.

Richland County allows property owners to opt out of having sensitive information such as their name, address, and property values displayed on the County’s website. This is in accordance with South Carolina law (Section 30-4-40(a)(2)), which allows the County to withhold information that could lead to an unreasonable invasion of privacy.

For those property owners who have opted out, the County currently does not post the following information on its website: property owner’s name and address, legal residence, property values (market, agriculture, building, and taxable), tax details, homestead, and sale information. 

Zillow Inc.’s lawsuit aims to make this opt-out information available to Zillow and other companies.

If you are a property owner who has opted out, you may be impacted by this lawsuit. South Carolina law also gives you the right to request a court hearing or take part in the case if you have a specific interest in the outcome.

For more information, please contact Fred Descy, Richland County Assessor, at Descy.Fred@richlandcountysc.gov.