Note: BCP Real Estate is not a law firm and its employees/owners are not acting as your attorneys. The information contained on this website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.
If a family property in Webb County has put your name on a tax lawsuit, the confusion that comes with it is completely normal, especially in families where the property has been passed down through several generations.
Often the first contact is a constable or sheriff’s deputy at the door with a citation and an Original Petition. Being served in person is unsettling, and a lot of people assume it’s something more serious than it is. In these matters it’s usually just the standard way a civil case over unpaid property taxes begins. It isn’t a criminal charge, and it isn’t a scam.
The usual cause is a gap in probate. When an owner passes away without probate, their interest passes to the next of kin under Texas intestacy laws, while the county’s records still list the original owner. When the taxes go unpaid long enough, the suit is filed and the county researches the family tree to name the living heirs.
In Webb County, taxes run through the Webb County Tax Assessor-Collector (1110 Victoria St., Suite 107, Laredo, TX 78040; 956-523-4200), property values are set by the Webb County Appraisal District, and the case is on record with the Webb County District Clerk. All of it is public and can be confirmed on your end.
From there, people generally resolve the lawsuit with an attorney, look into a payment arrangement, or sell their portion, which takes them out of the lawsuit without needing the rest of the family to agree.
A couple of questions we hear a lot in Webb County:
I haven’t lived in Laredo for years. Can I do this without coming back? Yes. The paperwork can usually be handled with an online notary, or a mobile notary who comes to you, so you don’t have to travel back to Webb County.
Does paying the back taxes give one family member ownership of the whole thing? Generally no. Paying taxes can keep an account current, but it doesn’t transfer ownership or remove the other heirs from the property.
If you’re looking to remove yourself from a lawsuit and get paid for your interest, no cost to you, call or text us at (469) 708-8003 for an offer today.
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