abandoned/neglected property
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abandoned/neglected property
My neighbor’s property has been vacant for 5+ years and has become horribly overgrown, creating a real fire hazard and pest problem. I’ve sent letters to the only address I had, but received no answer. The county won’t/can’t help. Can I have the property cleaned up and file a lien against it?
Asked on January 17, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Texas
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
If the neighbor's property has been neglected for years creating a fire hazard where the county has refused to either clean up the property or issue a nuisance citation, you can have the property cleaned up and send the bill to the owner for payment.
Before you do so, I suggest that you write the owner a letter about the sorry state of the property and advise him or her that you will clean up the property and send him or her a bill if nothing is done to rectify the situation.
If you receive no response, you can clean up the property and send the owner a bill for it. If there is no response, then you file a small claims action for the payment. If you get a judgment for the amount of the cleanup, then you record an abstract of judgment which will be your lien on the property.
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