An owner may keep a residence homestead exemption while replacing a damaged home, but must start construction or site preparation by the deadline and may lose the exemption after a limited period.
Sec. 11.135. CONTINUATION OF RESIDENCE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION WHILE REPLACEMENT STRUCTURE IS CONSTRUCTED; SALE OF PROPERTY. (a) If a qualified residential structure for which the owner receives an exemption under Section 11.13 is rendered uninhabitable or unusable by a casualty or by wind or water damage, the owner may continue to receive the exemption for the structure and the land and improvements used in the residential occupancy of the structure while the owner constructs a replacement qualified residential structure on the land if the owner does not establish a different principal residence for which the owner receives an exemption under Section 11.13 during that period and intends to return and occupy the structure as the owner's principal residence. To continue to receive the exemption, the owner must begin active construction of the replacement qualified residential structure or other physical preparation of the site on which the structure is to be located not later than the first anniversary, or the fifth anniversary for a property described by Subsection (a-1)(1), of the date the owner ceases to occupy the former qualified residential structure as the owner's principal residence. (a-1) An owner may not receive an exemption under Section 11.13 for property under the circumstances described by Subsection (a) for more than: (1) five years if: (A) the property is located in an area declared to be a disaster area by the governor following a disaster; and (B) the residential structure located on the property is rendered uninhabitable or unusable as a result of the disaster; or (2) two years if Subdivision (1) does not apply. (b) For purposes of Subsection (a), the site of a replacement qualified residential structure is under physical preparation if the owner has engaged in architectural or engineering work, soil testing, land clearing activities, or site improvement work necessary for the construction of the structure or has conducted an environmental or land use study relating to the construction of the structure. (c) If an owner receives an exemption for property under Section 11.13 under the circumstances described by Subsection (a) and sells the property before the owner completes construction of a replacement qualified residential structure on the property, an additional tax is imposed on the property equal to the difference between the taxes imposed on the property for each of the years in which the owner received the exemption and the tax that would have been imposed had the owner not received the exemption in each of those years, plus interest at an annual rate of seven percent calculated from the dates on which the differences would have become due. (d) A tax lien attaches to property on the date a sale under the circumstances described by Subsection (c) occurs to secure payment of the additional tax and interest imposed by that subsection and any penalties incurred. The lien exists in favor of all taxing units for which the additional tax is imposed. (e) A determination that a sale of property under the circumstances described by Subsection (c) has occurred is made by the chief appraiser. The chief appraiser shall deliver a notice of the determination to the owner of the property as soon as possible after making the determination and shall include in the notice an explanation of the owner's right to protest the determination. If the owner does not file a timely protest or if the final determination of the protest is that the additional taxes are due, the assessor for each taxing unit shall prepare and deliver a bill for the additional taxes plus interest as soon as practicable. The taxes and interest are due and become delinquent and incur penalties and interest as provided by law for ad valorem taxes imposed by the taxing unit if not paid before the next February 1 that is at least 20 days after the date the bill is delivered to the owner of the property. (f) The sanctions provided by Subsection (c) do not apply if the sale is: (1) for right-of-way; or (2) to this state or a political subdivision of this state to be used for a public purpose. (g) The comptroller shall adopt rules and forms to implement this section. Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 359 (H.B. 1257), Sec. 1(a), eff. June 19, 2009. Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1417 (H.B. 770), Sec. 2, eff. January 1, 2010. Amended by: Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 422 (S.B. 443), Sec. 1, eff. June 4, 2019.