UPDATED: Landlord /Property Manager’s Guide to Evictions in Bexar County

Upon popular request and after lots of procrastinating, I have updated my Primer on Residential Evictions in Bexar County, Texas.

I first wrote the Primer in 2011  as a resource for Landlords, Investors and Property Managers who find themselves facing the prospect of evicting a tenant or other occupant of residential property through the Bexar County Justice Courts.  Of course, just when we thought we had it all figured out, the Texas Legislature and Supreme Court changed all of the Evictions Rules (as least their locations and numbers) in September 2013. This change resulted in mass confusion for lawyers, judges and litigants who were familiar with the “old” version of the eviction Rules.

In the late summer of 2013 — on the eve of the Rule change — I gave a speech/presentation about the (then) “New Eviction Rules” to the San Antonio Chapter of NARPM.  Since that time, I have been meaning to update my Primer to reflect the changes, but never completed the update until August 27, 2016.

HOW MY BEXAR COUNTY EVICTIONS PRIMER IS ORGANIZED

I have designed the Primer as a FAQ-style document containing many of the questions that my Evictions clients in the past have told me they had when beginning the process. The questions are followed by my answers (and occasional commentary) to those questions, together with the Rule or statutory reference for my answers (where applicable).

As is reflected in the Primer, my opinion on how the Rules and law should operate is not always shared by the Judges who determine evictions cases. Their opinion matters a lot more than mine.

MY EVICTIONS PRIMER IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE

As with any FAQ-document, the Primer speaks in generalities. Like all legal areas, evictions are not a one-size-fits-all. Accordingly, the Primer is a resource to help landlords, property managers, investors and even other lawyers formulate the strategy that works best for their individual situations. It does not constitute legal advice, but rather a guidepost.

The only advice I offer is this — the Primer is worth to you exactly what you paid for it.  Follow-up by reading and understanding the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, Chapters 24 and 92 of the Texas Property Code, and seeking an attorney consultation where necessary!

SHARE THE PRIMER AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!

I hope that you find my Evictions Primer to be a useful tool.  Feel free to share it liberally.

The updated PRIMER can be viewed, saved and printed here:  Landlord’s Primer on Evictions