Can a buy here pay here lot sue you?

Yes. Repossessing the car doesn't cancel the debt — in South Carolina the lot can sell the car, apply what it gets to your balance, and sue you for the rest. That remainder is called a deficiency, and it surprises people who assumed losing the car settled it.

If the lot wins a judgment, South Carolina is more protective than most states about what happens next. Wages here generally cannot be garnished for a consumer debt like a car loan — that's unusual and it's genuinely in your favour. A judgment creditor can still go after a bank account, put a lien on property, and the judgment sits on your record for years.

You're also entitled to notice. The lot has to tell you it intends to sell the car and give you a chance to reinstate or redeem it, and the sale has to be commercially reasonable — it can't dump the car for far under value and bill you the gap. If neither happened, that's a real defence worth raising.

If you've been served, don't ignore it. Most deficiency judgments are entered by default simply because nobody showed up, and South Carolina Legal Services covers this exact situation at no cost if you qualify.