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.
Mission, TX
Mission Code Chapter 42, Article VI governs noise. Quiet hours generally enforced in the evenings and early mornings. Violations are Class C misdemeanors wit...
Mission, TX
Aircraft noise is federally regulated. Mission is in the Rio Grande Valley near McAllen-Miller International Airport. Local ordinances cannot override FAA au...
Mission, TX
Persistent barking is a nuisance violation under Mission's noise and animal ordinances. Officers may issue warnings before citations.
Mission, TX
Construction noise in Mission is governed by Chapter 42, Article VI. Standard South Texas practice allows construction during daytime hours. Verify current h...
Mission, TX
RV and boat storage is regulated under Mission's zoning code. Street parking of oversized vehicles may be time-limited. Verify with Mission Planning & Zoning.
Mission, TX
Abandoned and junked vehicles are regulated under TX Transportation Code §683 and Mission's nuisance ordinances. Inoperable vehicles on public streets are su...
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