In DFW, as everywhere in Texas, you are paid once the title company has good funds for the whole sale. After that, a few local steps finish the job: confirm the deed and your loan release in county records, sign up for a fraud alert, stop city water with a forwarding address, and check the tax account.
When a Fort Worth, Dallas or suburban sale funds, the money side is settled by state rules, which we cover in our Texas guide to getting paid after closing. This page is about what a DFW seller should check once the proceeds arrive: the county record, a fraud alert, the city water account and the property tax account. None of these slow down your payment, but each one closes a loose end.
Confirm the deed and your loan release in county records
Two documents from your sale should end up in the county's official public records: the deed to your buyer and the release of the loan you paid off. Under paragraph 12A(1)(a) of the TREC contract, the seller pays for releasing existing liens, including the recording fees for those releases, so it is worth confirming the release was recorded.
Each DFW county clerk has an online search where you can check both once they are recorded:
| County clerk | Where to search | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | tarrant.tx.publicsearch.us | Recording fee $20 for the first page, $4 for each added page |
| Dallas | dallas.tx.publicsearch.us | Non-certified search; the clerk records about 400,000 documents a year |
| Collin | collin.tx.publicsearch.us | Linked as "Deed Search" from the County Clerk page |
| Denton | denton.tx.publicsearch.us | Linked as "Property Records Search" from the County Clerk page |
If the deed shows up and the release does not, call the title company first. It paid the loan off from your proceeds and can tell you where the release stands.
DFW after-closing lookups: Tarrant records · Dallas County records · Collin records · Denton records · Tarrant tax search · Dallas County Tax Office
Sign up for a property fraud alert
Your name stays in the county's grantor and grantee indexes long after you sell. Both large DFW counties offer free monitoring of those indexes:
- Tarrant County runs Property Fraud Alert, a free online service. Once you register a name, you are notified when that exact name is listed as a grantor or grantee on more than 90 types of documents recorded with the county clerk, by email or by a phone call. The county notes that it will not prevent fraud, but it gives early warning.
- Dallas County partners with Neumo Property Alerts for a free sign-up open to all property owners. Its fraud page also explains, for anyone who finds a fake conveyance recorded against their property, the owner's affidavit process under Texas Property Code Section 5.0206 and the follow-up court petition under Government Code Section 51.9035.
Use the exact name that appears on your deed when you register.
Close out city water
Once possession passes to the buyer, end your utility accounts so the final bill and any deposit refund reach you.
- Fort Worth: call Water Customer Service at 817-392-4477. Give the address or account number, the date to stop service, and a forwarding address with city and ZIP for the final bill. The city says a deposit on file is credited to the final bill and any remaining balance is forwarded to you.
- Dallas: call Dallas Water Utilities at (214) 651-1441 to discontinue service. The city says a security deposit, plus interest if applicable, is credited to the final bill, and any remainder is mailed to your new address. Have your DWU account number and forwarding address ready.
Suburban cities run their own water billing. Check your last bill for the number to call.
Settle the property tax account
Under paragraph 13 of the TREC contract, this year's taxes are prorated through the closing date. If the bill has not been paid by closing, the buyer pays it, and your share shows up as a credit to the buyer on your closing statement. The contract also says the parties adjust the proration if the actual tax differs from the estimate once the year's statements are out.
Two local checks help. First, look up the account on the Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector's property search, or on the Dallas County Tax Office or Denton County Tax Office site, to confirm no past-due year was left behind. Second, remember that a homestead exemption ends with your ownership. Texas Tax Code Section 11.43(c) says an exemption applies until the property changes ownership, so the buyer applies for their own with TAD, DCAD, Collin CAD or Denton CAD.
Time the end of your insurance
Paragraph 10A of the TREC contract tells both parties to talk with their insurance agents before ownership and possession change, because coverage may be limited or end. It also warns that going without a written lease or proper coverage can expose the parties to loss. Call your agent before closing day, tell them the expected funding and move-out dates, and ask when your homeowner's policy should end and whether any unused premium comes back to you.
Keep a closing folder
Store these together, on paper or in a single digital folder:
- The final closing statement signed at the title company.
- A copy of the recorded deed and the recorded release of your loan.
- The final water bill and any deposit refund.
- Your last tax statement for the house and any proration adjustment.
- Any Form 1099-S or seller certification the title company gave you.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I stop Fort Worth water service after I sell?
Call Fort Worth Water Customer Service at 817-392-4477 with the address or account number, the date to stop service and a forwarding address for the final bill. The city says a deposit on file is credited to the final bill and any remaining balance is forwarded to you.
What happens to my Dallas water deposit when I move?
Dallas Water Utilities says a security deposit, plus interest if applicable, is credited to your final bill, and any remaining balance is mailed to your new address. Call (214) 651-1441 to stop service and have your account number and forwarding address ready.
How can I confirm my sale was recorded in Tarrant County?
Search the Tarrant County Clerk's Official Records Search at tarrant.tx.publicsearch.us for your name. The deed to your buyer and the release of your old loan should both appear once they are recorded.
What does Tarrant County charge to record a document?
The Tarrant County Clerk lists a recording fee of $20 for the first page and $4 for each additional page.
Sources
- Tarrant County Clerk, Real estate records
- Dallas County Clerk, Recording Division
- Tarrant County Clerk, Property Fraud Alert
- Dallas County Clerk, Property Fraud Alert
- Texas Property Code, Chapter 5 (Sec. 5.0206 owner's affidavit)
- Collin County Clerk
- Denton County Clerk, Recording Division
- City of Fort Worth, Water account services
- City of Dallas Water Utilities, Account information
- Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector
- Texas Real Estate Commission, Resale contract TREC No. 20-19 (paragraphs 12A and 13)
- Texas Tax Code, Chapter 11 (Sec. 11.43 exemptions end on change of ownership)
General information, not legal or tax advice. Talk to a Texas attorney or CPA about your situation.