Tex. Local Government Code § 212.303
This is the official text of Tex. Local Government Code § 212.303, part of Texas’s Local Government Code — governs the powers and operations of Texas cities and counties.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 212.303. PUBLIC HEARING.
Official statutory text
(a) Before a municipality may make an administrative determination under Section 212.302, the municipality must:
(1) hold a public hearing on the matter; and
(2) make reasonable efforts to notify each owner and lienholder of the parcel of land of the time and place of the hearing as provided by Section 212.304.
(b) The hearing may be held by the governing body of the municipality or an appropriate municipal commission or board appointed by the governing body. The Texas Rules of Evidence do not apply to a hearing conducted under this section.
(c) At the hearing, an owner or lienholder may provide testimony and present evidence to refute any of the applicable factors for a determination under Section 212.302. It is an affirmative defense to a determination under Section 212.302 that the ad valorem taxes imposed on a parcel of land have been paid in full and no delinquent ad valorem taxes or penalties are owed on the parcel at the time of the hearing, regardless of whether the taxes or penalties were paid after the notice provided under Section 212.304.
(d) The municipality may conduct a single hearing for multiple parcels of land and make a determination that multiple parcels of land are abandoned, unoccupied, and tax delinquent based on the same evidence.
(e) Not later than the 14th day after the date of the hearing, if a parcel of land is determined to be abandoned, unoccupied, and tax delinquent, the municipality shall issue a resolution of its determination.
(f) Not later than the 14th day after the date of the resolution, the municipality shall:
(1) post notice of the resolution at the city hall; and
(2) publish in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality in which the parcel of land is located a notice of the determination containing:
(A) a description of the parcel;
(B) the date of the hearing;
(C) a brief statement of the results of the resolution;
(D) instructions stating where a complete copy of the resolution may be obtained; and
(E) notice that the resolution is appealable to a district court in the county within 60 calendar days of the resolution.
(g) In lieu of the notice required by Subsection (f), the municipality may:
(1) post the information required by Subsection (f)(2) on the municipality's Internet website; and
(2) publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality in which the parcel of land is located stating that:
(A) the governing body of the municipality has adopted a resolution under this subchapter; and
(B) the information required by Subsection (f)(2) may be found on the municipality's Internet website.
(1) hold a public hearing on the matter; and
(2) make reasonable efforts to notify each owner and lienholder of the parcel of land of the time and place of the hearing as provided by Section 212.304.
(b) The hearing may be held by the governing body of the municipality or an appropriate municipal commission or board appointed by the governing body. The Texas Rules of Evidence do not apply to a hearing conducted under this section.
(c) At the hearing, an owner or lienholder may provide testimony and present evidence to refute any of the applicable factors for a determination under Section 212.302. It is an affirmative defense to a determination under Section 212.302 that the ad valorem taxes imposed on a parcel of land have been paid in full and no delinquent ad valorem taxes or penalties are owed on the parcel at the time of the hearing, regardless of whether the taxes or penalties were paid after the notice provided under Section 212.304.
(d) The municipality may conduct a single hearing for multiple parcels of land and make a determination that multiple parcels of land are abandoned, unoccupied, and tax delinquent based on the same evidence.
(e) Not later than the 14th day after the date of the hearing, if a parcel of land is determined to be abandoned, unoccupied, and tax delinquent, the municipality shall issue a resolution of its determination.
(f) Not later than the 14th day after the date of the resolution, the municipality shall:
(1) post notice of the resolution at the city hall; and
(2) publish in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality in which the parcel of land is located a notice of the determination containing:
(A) a description of the parcel;
(B) the date of the hearing;
(C) a brief statement of the results of the resolution;
(D) instructions stating where a complete copy of the resolution may be obtained; and
(E) notice that the resolution is appealable to a district court in the county within 60 calendar days of the resolution.
(g) In lieu of the notice required by Subsection (f), the municipality may:
(1) post the information required by Subsection (f)(2) on the municipality's Internet website; and
(2) publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality in which the parcel of land is located stating that:
(A) the governing body of the municipality has adopted a resolution under this subchapter; and
(B) the information required by Subsection (f)(2) may be found on the municipality's Internet website.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Texas?
Find a Texas lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.