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Bettesworth Construction
Blythewood

Blythewood Couple Sue Scout Motors Over Construction Damage; Automaker Blames Contractors

William and Barbara Shives allege construction at Scout’s Blythewood site damaged their property and forced them to leave. Scout is seeking dismissal, blaming subcontractors.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 3 min read
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William and Barbara Shives, 92 and 84, sued Scout Motors and Richland County in South Carolina in August 2026, alleging that construction at the adjacent Blythewood factory site damaged their property and drove them from the home where they had lived for more than 40 years. Scout is asking a court to dismiss the claims against it, arguing that any alleged harm was caused by subcontractors. That is Scout’s position—not a court finding—and the Shives’ allegations remain contested.

What the Shives allege happened

The Shives’ lawsuit, filed August 7, 2026, names Scout Motors and Richland County. The couple allege that work at the neighboring factory site damaged their septic system, washed out their driveway and sent rubble onto their property. An October 6 report by The State says the complaint also describes a piece of debris striking a guest in the eye. The alleged damage and its cause have not been established by a court.

The couple say they left the house where they had lived for more than 40 years. Bill Shives was quoted in earlier coverage, as reproduced by The State, saying: “The last thing we ever expected was to be run out of town.” The lawsuit also accuses Scout and Richland County of trespass and negligence, among other claims; the precise counts should be confirmed against the complaint.

Why Scout says the contractors should be responsible

According to The State’s October 6 account, Scout filed a motion on October 2 seeking dismissal of the claims against it. Scout argues that any alleged damages were caused solely by subcontractors and that any liability on Scout’s part would be secondary or passive. The company named Evans General Contractors, LLC, Elevate Drilling & Blasting, LLC, and Strack as third-party defendants.

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The report says Scout’s filing describes Evans as organizing or overseeing some site activity, and Strack and Elevate as involved in or overseeing blasting. Those descriptions reflect Scout’s filing as reported; the court has not been reported to have accepted its account or resolved responsibility.

What Scout acknowledges—and disputes

As summarized in the report, Scout’s filing acknowledges blasting through subcontractors, construction blasting noise and vibration, and the potential danger of using high explosives near occupied homes. It disputes the Shives’ claims about persistent dust, noise and vibration, and runoff washing out the driveway. These are opposing positions in an active case, not findings about what happened.

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Timeline of the case

Date What is reported
August 7, 2026 The Post and Courier report gives this date for the Shives’ lawsuit against Scout Motors and Richland County. Its result is an archived NewsBank page: Post and Courier report.
October 2, 2026 The date of Scout’s filing, according to The State’s account.
October 6, 2026 The State published its report on Scout’s request for dismissal and third-party claims.

The original complaint, docket and October 2 motion were not directly reviewed for this account. The table’s procedural details therefore reflect the cited reporting, not an independent examination of the filings.

How the construction project fits in

Richland County owns the project site, according to The State. The report describes it as a 1,600-acre site intended to support production of up to 200,000 vehicles per year at full capacity. That is a planned capacity figure, not current output.

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The State also reported that South Carolina regulators previously fined Richland County $1 million over sediment-filled stormwater runoff from the project site. That separate regulatory matter provides background, but it is not a judgment in the Shives’ lawsuit and does not by itself establish the cause of the couple’s alleged property damage.

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What is—and is not—settled

  • The Shives have sued Scout Motors and Richland County over alleged construction-related impacts and say they left their home.
  • Scout is asking for the claims against it to be dismissed and assigns responsibility for any alleged damages to subcontractors.
  • The available reporting describes a dispute over the source of harm and who should answer for it. It does not report a court decision resolving the claims.

The Shives’ attorney, Robert Goings, summarized the dispute this way: “Richland County blames Scout. Scout blames the subcontractors. Nobody takes responsibility,” according to The State.

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Scout, in a prior statement quoted by The State, said: “From day one, Scout Motors has prioritized maintaining open lines of communication with the Shives family, neighboring property owners, and the broader community.” The company also said it remained committed to engagement and to safe construction under applicable requirements and permits. These statements describe Scout’s position, not an independent assessment.

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