Texas Take Note: The following water-related bills were passed by the 89th Texas Legislature and signed into law by Governor Abbott. They become law on September 1, 2025. Senate Bill 7 -- the major water infrastructure bill -- expands the scope of the Texas Water...
Texas May Require New Disclosure Form to Record Deeds
Proposed Texas Law Would Require New Disclosure Form to Record Real Estate Transfers By Trey Wilson, San Antonio Real Estate Attorney and Texas Water Lawyer A new bill filed in the Texas House by Representative Holt —House Bill 285—could significantly change the...
New Law Changes How Texas Agents Represent Buyers
New Law Changes the Rules for Real Estate Agents Representing Buyers in Texas By Trey Wilson, San Antonio Real Estate Attorney and Texas Water Lawyer Starting January 1, 2026, a new Texas law—Senate Bill 1968—will significantly change the way real estate agents...
East Texas Rep files Flurry of Anti-Groundwater Exporter Bills
On July 28, 2025 Rep. Cody Harris, the Palestine-based representative of Texas House District 8 filed four bills that collectively seek to invoke huge changes to the way that groundwater is permitted in Texas. The bills -- sequentially numbered HB 215, HB 216,...
Spanish and Mexican Land Measurements Still Shape Texas Real Estate
What Is a Vara? Spanish and Mexican Land Measurements That Still Shape Texas Real Estate By Trey Wilson, San Antonio Real Estate Attorney and Texas Water Lawyer In Texas real estate law, words matter—and so do measurements. If you've spent any time combing through...
East Texas Groundwater Goes to Austin
Key Takeaways from the July 15, 2025 House Natural Resources Committee Hearing By Trey Wilson San Antonio Real Estate Attorney and Texas Water Lawyer Why June 15, 2025 Matters On July 15, 2025, the Texas House Committee on Natural Resources convened in Austin for an...
Real Estate Broker’s Lien in Texas
Do Real Estate Brokers Have a Lien Right in Texas? By Trey Wilson, San Antonio Real Estate Attorney and Texas Water Lawyer In Texas commercial real estate, unpaid broker commissions can lead to expensive disputes—and sometimes litigation. Fortunately, Chapter 62 of...
Texas Legislature Targets Deed Fraud (Again)
In recent years, deed fraud has become one of the fastest-growing forms of real estate crime in Texas. Bad actors forge signatures, falsify notary seals, and record fraudulent deeds with county clerks—quietly "stealing" land right out from under legitimate owners. And...
FEMA Flood Zones: What They Mean for Texas Landowners
Understanding FEMA Flood Zones and What They Mean for Texas Landowners Flooding is both a natural disaster and a foreseeable legal problem. In Texas, where rapid urban development meets unpredictable weather, understanding how FEMA flood zones affect your property...
Taming the Untamable Rivers: Central Texas’ Flood Control Lakes
Taming the Untamable Rivers: How the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Built Central Texas’ Flood Control Lakes Trey Wilson, San Antonio Real Estate Attorney and Texas Water Lawyer For Central Texas landowners, rivers are both a blessing and a tremendous threat. The same...
Distributing British-Owned Land After American Independence
What Happened to British-Owned Land After American Independence? By Trey Wilson, San Antonio Real Estate Attorney and Texas Water Lawyer Fourth of July Special Edition: One of the more fascinating—and often overlooked—chapters in American legal history is the...
My New Podcast Episode: Is “Produced Water” Groundwater or Oil & Gas Waste?
About the Episode: Take a Deep Dive into a brand new Texas Supreme Court decision on the latest episode of my Podcast. This episode explores the Texas Supreme Court's June 27, 2025 OPINION in Cactus Water Services, LLC v. COG Operating, LLC (Supreme Court of Texas,...
Texas A&M–San Antonio — Land Assembly, Southside Strategy, and Higher Ed Land Law
Texas A&M–San Antonio: Land Assembly, Southside Strategy, and Higher Ed Land Law By Trey Wilson, Real Estate and Water Law Attorney | San Antonio, TX The creation of the Texas A&M–San Antonio campus on the city’s South Side more than an investment in higher...
Accrual Date for Injury to Land Claims
When Your Land is Damaged by the Acts of Another, You have a Limited Time to Bring Suit. By: Trey Wilson, real estate attorney and water rights lawyer in San Antonio. INTRODUCTION Like all claims recognized under Texas law, suits for damage to land are...
What is a “Casual Fence” in Texas?
What Is a Causal Fence in Texas? Introduction In rural Texas, fences do more than keep livestock in and neighbors out. They can become decisive legal battlegrounds—especially in boundary disputes and adverse possession claims. One concept that frequently arises is the...
Rainwater in Texas: HOA Restrictions + Incentives
Can a Texas HOA Restrict My Right to Harvest Rainwater or Maintain Rain Barrels? By Trey Wilson, Texas Real Estate and Water Lawyer Water conservation in Texas isn’t just smart policy—it’s backed by law. With drought cycles, population growth, and aquifer strain...
Ownership of Rivers and Public Access to Riverbeds in Texas
Who Owns the Rivers in Texas? Public Access and Private Property Rights By Trey Wilson, Real Estate Lawyer and Water Rights Attorney – San Antonio, Texas In Texas, questions about who owns a river—and who can legally walk, wade, or paddle through it—are more than...
Can I Build a Stock Tank Without a Permit in Texas?
Can I Build a Stock Tank Without a Permit in Texas? By Trey Wilson, Texas Real Estate and Water Lawyer It’s a common question for Texas landowners: Can I build a stock tank without a permit? In a state where ranching, water storage, and rural land development...
Water Wells in Real Estate Deals
Water Wells in Real Estate Deals: What Buyers and Sellers Must Know By Trey Wilson, San Antonio Real Estate and Water Law Attorney In Texas, a water well can be a major asset—or a hidden liability. Whether you’re buying ranchland, a Hill Country retreat, or a rural...
Eisenhower Park: From Army Land to Public Parkland
Eisenhower Park: From Army Land to Public Parkland in San Antonio By Trey Wilson, Real Estate, Land Use and Water Lawyer – San Antonio, TX Just south of Camp Bullis, in the southernmost fringes of Hill Country brush and limestone escarpments, sits Eisenhower Park —...
Exempt Water Wells in Texas
Exempt Groundwater Wells in Texas: What Landowners Need to Know By Trey Wilson, Real Estate and Water Law Attorney | San Antonio, TX If you’re a Texas landowner with access to groundwater, you may have heard the term “exempt well.” But what does it really mean? And...