State Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, is proposing that people be allowed to pay their property taxes either in a lump sum or in installments.

"It will give people the chance to raise the money themselves," said Ford. "Most people have to borrow money or put it on their credit card."

Ford said he is drafting legislation to allow installments.

State law now gives counties the option of allowing residents to pay their property taxes in advance in installments.

Ford wants that made mandatory and wants residents to be able to pay in installments after they receive a tax notice. He said the change would help people who own their homes and don't have property tax payments put in escrow by their mortgage companies.

It also would help those who have inherited property where values are steadily rising.

"They are financing their whole life year after year after year," Ford said.

Dorchester County Treasurer Patsy G. Knight said the county is looking to see if there is enough interest in offering advance installment payments.

"I would love for him to do something like that, but I would like him to get funding with it," Knight said. "Everyone is going to holler that this is an unfunded state mandate."

But Berkeley County Supervisor Jim Rozier said requiring installment payments would is the thing the state could do.

Rozier and some county officials are suggesting banks open clubs that would operate like Christmas clubs where residents can save for large expenditures.

Richland and Beaufort counties already offer advance installments but not many property owners use them.

No one in Beaufort has signed up because it requires advance payments, County Treasurer Joy Logan said.

Only about 300 of the 150,000 tax notices Richland County sends out are paid by advance installments. The program is used mostly by senior citizens, said County Treasurer David Adams

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