The defenses a Texas tenant can raise against an eviction: defective notice to vacate, improper service, retaliation, repair-related defenses, what happens at the justice court hearing, and the five-day appeal to county court.
What counts as a wrongful eviction in Texas, when a lockout or utility shutoff is illegal under Property Code Sec. 92.0081 and Sec. 92.008, and the possession, penalty, and damages remedies a tenant can pursue.
An eviction in Texas leaves two records: the tenant-screening report and the public court file. How each is cleared, corrected, or aged off under Texas and federal law.
Texas gives tenants specific ways to slow an eviction: appealing to county court within 5 days, filing a Statement of Inability instead of an appeal bond, and the built-in delay before a writ of possession can be executed.
What “squatters’ rights” means in Texas: the adverse possession time limits that can lead to title, and how a property owner removes an unauthorized occupant through the eviction process, including the faster track added by SB 38.