COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina's highest court on Friday lifted a temporary stop on thousands of pending foreclosure sales in the state, replacing it with a set of procedures for such actions.

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal replaced the injunction with procedures to ensure foreclosures are handled uniformly while eligible homeowners seek out federal assistance.

On May 4, Toal ordered South Carolina judges to stop finalizing foreclosure sales on thousands of properties guaranteed by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae or any other mortgage company that has signed on to a federal assistance program, so homeowners could have more time to take advantage the aid.

Mortgage experts believe it to be the nation's first court-ordered stop for an entire state.

In March, the Obama administration announced a plan to provide $75 billion in incentives for the mortgage industry to modify loans to help borrowers avoid foreclosure.

In her May 4 order, Toal also set a May 15 deadline for plaintiffs in foreclosure actions to notify other parties if the loan is subject to modification under the federal program. If it is, those foreclosure proceedings will remain on hold. But if not, the sale can go forward.

On Friday, Toal reaffirmed that decision, adding that any foreclosure actions filed after May 4 must clearly spell out if mortgage loans are owned or guaranteed by Fannie, Freddie or any other lender that is part of the federal assistance program.

For foreclosure sales that a judge has determined meet the standards for federal assistance, Toal says the proceedings should be stayed until the assistance review process is completed. And foreclosures can move forward for any loans that aren't subject to modification under the federal program, Toal wrote.

A spokesman for Freddie Mac declined to comment on Toal's determination, and a spokesman for Fannie Mae did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Nationally, the number of homes facing foreclosure grew 24 percent in the first three months of this year from a year earlier. The total in 2008 was 2.3 million households that received foreclosure filings. In South Carolina, more than 13,700 homes are in some stage of foreclosure, according to RealtyTrac, Inc., a foreclosure listing service in Irvine, Calif.

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