Florence County, South Carolina – A West Lucas Street motel has been ordered to shut down after a Florence County court found that years of serious criminal activity at the property had reached a point local officials said could no longer be ignored.
According to the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, on April 21, 2026, the Florence County Court of Common Pleas declared the Baymont Inns & Suites on West Lucas Street a public nuisance and granted a temporary injunction against the property’s owners, stopping them from continuing motel operations.
The order took effect immediately, leaving the business closed while the case moves forward.
The decision followed legal action brought by the 12th Circuit Solicitor’s Office and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office under South Carolina law.
According to the court order, the property had been linked to a “pattern of pervasive, repeated acts of unlawful behavior,” including trespassing, drug activity, larceny, robbery, assault, shootings, fights, disorderly conduct and other incidents.
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The court described the conduct as “offensive to public decency, morals, peace and health…”
For county officials, the ruling marked more than a single enforcement action. It was presented as a response to a location authorities say had become a repeated source of danger, calls for service and community concern.
The temporary injunction can remain in place for up to one year, or until a full hearing on the merits is held. In the meantime, the motel will remain closed for business.
Florence County Sheriff TJ Joye said the problems at the Baymont had grown too serious to allow operations to continue.
“Over the last few years the serious crimes at the Baymont have just become intolerable,” Sheriff TJ Joye stated.
“The location has become a haven for illegal narcotics, violent crime and is a drain on public resources. Working with the Solicitor’s Office and our legal counsel, we are shutting it down. This is a positive newsworthy development for our county, which quite frankly, I am disappointed did not get more media coverage. But stay tuned, because we’re not done yet. This is notice to other problem locations in our county; if you continue to encourage behavior harmful to our citizens, we will use the legal process to shut you down.”
The closure now places the West Lucas Street property under court-imposed restrictions while officials continue pursuing the case.
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For law enforcement, the action also sends a broader message to other locations accused of allowing repeated criminal behavior to take root: the county is prepared to use civil nuisance laws, not only criminal arrests, to address places viewed as ongoing threats to public safety.
