Latest news with #EvictionLab
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A Texas bill targeting squatters would also hurt renters, leaving some homeless
Texas legislators wanting to get tough on squatters may, in the process, negatively impact some of the millions of legitimate renters in the Lone Star State. More than 11 million Texans are renters. Renters and their families comprise more than 37% of the population. In 2023, approximately 400,000 families, or 3.5% of Texas renters, faced eviction. According to the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, there are approximately 291,290 renter households in Travis County. Of those, approximately 13,384, or 4.6%, were the subject of an eviction filing in the last year. Similar Texas statistics illustrate possible renter peril statewide. Texas rules require that an eviction hearing or trial be held in as little as six days after the tenant is served with a petition. Two bills making their way through the Texas Legislature would cut that time to just four days in an expedited process and allow a landlord to ask a judge to award back rent without evidence of the debt. Proponents of House Bill 32 and its companion bill, SB 38, claim the bills target squatters. The Texas Apartment Association, a trade association of the rental housing industry, maintains the bill would close loopholes exploited by squatters and make removing them easier and less expensive. But squatters are not tenants. They are trespassers — people who occupy dwellings without permission of the owner. The number of Texas squatters is unknown, but according to the National Rental Home Council, in 2024 there were just 475 in the Dallas-Fort-Worth area, or less than 0.1% of occupants in rental housing. Yet the so-called anti-squatters bill would also apply to the 99.9% of people in rental housing who occupy their homes by virtue of a written or oral lease. It would almost certainly increase evictions across the state, cause housing instability and negatively impact tenants' physical and mental health. Current Texas law already provides a fast track for landlords, requiring a tenant to appear before a judge more quickly than in any other type of civil matter. Typical response time in justice courts is 14 days. The law already gives tenants only six to 10 days to respond after being served with the petition, enabling a judge to quickly determine who is entitled to the premises and how much money, if any, a tenant may owe. Reducing response time to four days means a tenant served with eviction papers on a Thursday night would have to respond in writing to the court by the following Monday. Even when alternative housing can be found, tenants who are unable to respond in time are likely to find that the court has entered a judgment for back rent that is just like any other court judgment to collect a debt. We understand Texas landlords face a growing problem with squatters, and we believe the Texas Legislature should explore all available options. Any relief should be targeted to address the harm caused by the 0.1% of occupants of rental housing characterized as squatters. The Legislature could easily limit the bills' expedited process to squatters and even provide more stringent criminal penalties. Regardless of what course the Legislature chooses, it should not come at the expense of the due process rights of 11 million Texas tenants by giving them only four days to respond to an eviction suit. Mary Spector is a law professor and associate dean for experiential learning, and Julie Forrester Rogers is a Provost Faculty Research Fellow and law professor at the Dedman School of Law at SMU. Spector directs the Civil/Consumer Law Clinic and teaches and researches consumer law. Rogers teaches and researches property and real estate law. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: A Texas bill targeting squatters would ensnare legal renters | Opinion
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bipartisan bill would offer legal support for Ohioans facing eviction
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A bipartisan bill would offer state funding for legal costs to low-income Ohioans facing eviction, an issue of great concern in Franklin County. Sponsored by State Sens. Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) and Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus), Senate Bill 83 would revise eviction and property laws in Ohio to assist households facing eviction. The bill would establish a legal services housing defense fund to finance legal services to eligible Ohioans, bringing more direct state support for residents in eviction hearings. According to the Eviction Lab, eviction is a prevailing concern in Franklin County. There have been more than 100,000 eviction filings in Franklin County in the past five years, 25% of which occurred in the past year alone. What to know as Canada geese nest across central Ohio Franklin County evictions noticeably increased after COVID-19. According to the Eviction Lab, evictions from the past year are 39% higher than average eviction filings before COVID-19. Further, data shows the eviction crisis is likely to worsen as pandemic-era federal funding runs out. See previous coverage of eviction concerns in the video player above. Senate Bill 83 wants to reduce barriers for Ohioans facing eviction. The new state fund would cover legal costs for eligible households, or households with an established annual income under 300% of the federal poverty level. Poverty levels vary by household size, but a four-person home would be eligible if it makes less than $96,450 annually. The bill would also allow parties involved in eviction filings to request nonbinding mediation to help come to an understanding. To help protect tenants' rights, any eviction notice would have to include the right to free legal representation and information on how to see if they are eligible. S.B. 83 would keep all associated records private until an eviction was formalized. Any eviction case documents could also be removed from public record if both parties agree to it. In those cases, only authorized judicial staff, parties directly involved in the case or someone with a court order could access the records. What's new and coming soon at Easton Town Center The bill would also adjust property and inspection laws. Under S.B. 83, any property transaction would need to provide proof the involved parties are real people before the county auditor would endorse the sale. Building code enforcement certification would also have to be 'as accessible as possible' without compromising safety. Finally, S.B. 83 would require inspections of construction projects within 30 days of receiving a plan review or inspection request. Local building boards would also have to publish a list of approved and certified third-party inspectors. 'How we resolve the housing crisis impacts our future economic development and the strength of our schools and local governments,' Craig said. S.B. 83 was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee in February but has not had hearings since. The program would require the General Assembly to allocate funding to the bill, and it could emerge in ongoing Senate discussions of Ohio's biennial budget. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
