In Texas a squatter can claim title only through adverse possession, with periods that shorten as the claim strengthens: 3 years under title or color of title (§ 16.024), 5 years with a registered deed plus paid taxes (§ 16.025), 10 years for bare possession capped at 160 acres (§ 16.026), and 25 years under a recorded instrument (§ 16.028).
Under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.024, an owner must sue within three years against a possessor holding "under title or color of title." Section 16.025 sets a five-year bar where the possessor cultivates, uses, or enjoys the land, "pay[s] applicable taxes," and claims "under a duly registered deed" (excluding quitclaim, forged, or forged-power-of-attorney deeds). Section 16.026 sets a ten-year bar for one who cultivates, uses, or enjoys the property, "limited…to 160 acres" without a recorded instrument fixing larger boundaries. Section 16.028 sets a 25-year bar for a good-faith holder under a recorded instrument purporting to convey the property, which "extends to…all of the property described in the instrument, even though the instrument is void on its face or in fact." Possession must be actual, open, exclusive, hostile, and continuous.
No specific statutory penalty against the owner. A squatter gains title only if every adverse-possession element is met for the applicable 3-, 5-, 10-, or 25-year period; otherwise the occupant has no possessory right and is subject to removal through the eviction or trespass process.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Haltom City, TX
Haltom City allows outdoor live music subject to Chapter 54. Amplified outdoor music must stop by 10 p.m. and must not be plainly audible 50 feet beyond the ...
Haltom City, TX
Haltom City does not publish a detailed decibel schedule. Enforcement uses the plainly audible standard plus TX Penal Code 42.01, which treats noise over 85 ...
Haltom City, TX
Haltom City has no dedicated leaf blower ordinance. Gas and electric blowers are allowed without time-of-day restrictions beyond the general Chapter 54 noise...
Haltom City, TX
Haltom City requires a driveway permit from Public Works for new or expanded driveway approaches. Residential driveways must be concrete or asphalt, meet wid...
Haltom City, TX
Haltom City enforces Texas Transportation Code Chapter 683 on abandoned vehicles. Vehicles left on streets over 48 hours or visibly inoperable on private pro...
Haltom City, TX
Haltom City prohibits parking of commercial vehicles over one-ton capacity and most trailers in residential zones. Service pickups under the limit may park a...
See how Haltom City's squatter's rights & adverse possession rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.