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.
Pearland, TX
Pearland prohibits unreasonably loud, disturbing, or unnecessary noise that disturbs neighbors, with stricter enforcement during overnight hours under Chapte...
Pearland, TX
Pearland controls industrial and commercial noise emissions through its noise ordinance and zoning standards, prohibiting sound that crosses property lines a...
Pearland, TX
Pearland regulates amplified music and outdoor sound systems under its noise ordinance and special event permit process, requiring approval for events that g...
Pearland, TX
Pearland prohibits any vehicle, including commercial trucks, from remaining parked on a city street for more than 72 continuous hours, and enforces posted we...
Pearland, TX
Pearland does not impose a blanket overnight parking ban, but the 72-hour street parking limit and Texas petition-based commercial truck rules govern overnig...
Pearland, TX
Pearland regulates acceptable fence materials in residential districts, prohibiting barbed wire, electrified fencing, and certain temporary materials while r...
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