A county may seize a person's real property for delinquent ad valorem taxes, penalties, and interest if the notice and abandonment-related conditions are met.
Sec. 33.911. PROPERTY SUBJECT TO SEIZURE BY COUNTY. (a) After notice has been provided to a person, the person's real property, whether improved or unimproved, is subject to seizure by a county for the payment of delinquent ad valorem taxes, penalties, and interest the person owes on the property if: (1) the property: (A) is in the county; (B) is not in a municipality; and (C) has been abandoned for at least one year; (2) the taxes on the property are delinquent for each of the preceding five years; and (3) the county tax assessor-collector determines that seizure of the property under this subchapter for the payment of the delinquent taxes, penalties, and interest would be in the best interest of the county and the other taxing units after determining that the sum of all outstanding tax and county claims against the property plus the estimated costs under Section 33.48 of a standard judicial foreclosure exceed the anticipated proceeds from a tax sale. (b) The seizure and sale may not be set aside or voided because of any error in determination. (c) For purposes of this section, a property is presumed to have been abandoned for at least one year if, during that period, the property has remained vacant and a lawful act of ownership of the property has not been exercised. The tax collector of a county may rely on the affidavit of any competent person with personal knowledge of the facts in determining whether a property has been abandoned or vacant. For purposes of this subsection: (1) property is considered vacant if there is an absence of any activity by the owner, a tenant, or a licensee related to residency, work, trade, business, leisure, or recreation; and (2) "lawful act of ownership" includes mowing or cutting grass or weeds, repairing or demolishing a structure or fence, removing debris, or other form of property upkeep or maintenance performed by or at the request of the owner of the property. Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 914, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 319, Sec. 3, eff. June 18, 2003.