Sell Your Carrollton House As-Is

Three counties share Carrollton

Carrollton had 135,456 residents in the Census Bureau's 2024 estimate, and the city sits in three counties: Denton County, Dallas County and Collin County. Each county has its own appraisal district, tax collector and clerk, so the first step in any sale is knowing which one holds your parcel.

Denton County

The Denton Central Appraisal District values the property. The Denton County Tax Assessor/Collector handles the tax bill. The County Clerk's Recording Division maintains the county's real property records and offers an online Property Records Search.

Dallas County

The Dallas Central Appraisal District sets the value. The Dallas County Tax Office lists Carrollton among the cities it collects for. Deeds are recorded with the Dallas County Clerk.

Collin County

The Collin Central Appraisal District, the Collin County Tax Assessor-Collector and the Collin County Clerk cover that part of the city.

Search your address on Denton CAD first, then DCAD, then Collin CAD. Your tax statement names the county too.

Code cases and city liens in Carrollton

Carrollton's code work runs through its Neighborhood Integrity Program, which enforces the city's ordinances, zoning code, housing code and dangerous building code. The page lays out the steps:

1. An officer inspects after a complaint or during routine patrol.
2. If a violation is not an immediate hazard, the owner gets a notice letter and usually ten days to fix it. An immediate health or safety hazard gets a written warning on the spot.
3. If the owner does not comply, a citation or court summons can follow, heard in Carrollton Municipal Court.
4. The city may also hire a contractor to clean up the property and place a lien for the cost.

That last step is the one sellers feel at closing. A recorded city lien generally has to be paid or released before the buyer gets clear title. If your Carrollton house has had cleanup work done by the city, ask your title company to search for liens as soon as you have a contract.

Selling a Carrollton rental

Carrollton requires owners who rent out single-family homes or duplexes to register them with the city and have them inspected. Registration is annual and identifies the tenants and the owner. Forms go out in June for the following year, and the form and the $75 fee per property are due by July 31. You can also register online through the city's CityServe portal. Skipping it can bring a citation and a fine of $500 per day for each day the house stays unregistered. Before you sell a rental, confirm the registration is current. A buyer's due diligence may turn up a gap.

If a tenant has to leave first, the eviction goes to the justice of the peace court for the precinct where the house is (Texas Property Code 24.004). Denton County's Justice of the Peace Precinct 6 is in Carrollton, at the Sandy Jacobs Government Center, 1029 W. Rosemeade Parkway. For an address in the Dallas County part of the city, use the district locator on the Dallas County JP courts page. Collin County has an interactive precinct map on its Justices of the Peace page. In most cases the landlord must first give at least three days' written notice to vacate, unless the lease sets a different period (Property Code 24.005).

Water and city utility accounts

Carrollton bills water and sewer monthly, plus trash and drainage inside the city limits. In a 2023 notice, the city explained that residents can start, stop or transfer service online at myaccount.cityofcarrollton.com. You upload documents to confirm your identity and ownership, and the city emails a confirmation with a reference number. Water is turned on or off within two days of that confirmation, Monday through Friday by 5 p.m. If you need it sooner, call 972-466-3120 during business hours, and an extra fee may apply. The Utility Customer Service page lists a $75 minimum deposit for new residents and a $15 connection fee on the first bill. When you stop service, any deposit left on the old account can take up to two months to reach your new address, so update your mailing address before you move.

Leaving the water on until the house is sold helps with inspections and keeps the yard alive, but an empty house with running water needs checking. Our post on utilities in a vacant house covers the tradeoffs.

Estates and foreclosure dates

Probate is generally opened in the county where the owner lived (Estates Code 33.001). For an owner who lived in the Denton County part of Carrollton, that means Denton County Probate Court No. 1. On the Dallas County side, the county's three probate courts hear wills and heirship cases. In Collin County, the Collin County Probate Court in McKinney does. A will generally has to be offered for probate within four years of the death (Estates Code 256.003), so heirs should not let an empty house sit for years. A probate attorney can explain the options.

For foreclosures, Texas auctions run on the first Tuesday of each month, with notice posted and filed at least 21 days before (Property Code 51.002). Denton County holds its sales at the southwest corner of the Denton County Courts Building, 1450 E. McKinney Street in Denton. Its County Clerk only file-marks and keeps the notices. Questions about a specific sale go to the trustee named on the notice. Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas has a Denton office for residents who qualify for free civil legal help.

Selling your Carrollton house to Cash Home Advisors

You can sell as-is without making repairs. We can close in 7–14 days, and we pay all closing costs. Se habla español.

Read how it works, then use the get an offer form. If you are weighing costs, see who pays closing costs in DFW. Nearby, see our Lewisville and Richardson pages.

Local offices for this area

• Denton Central Appraisal District
• Dallas Central Appraisal District
• Denton County Clerk, Recording Division
• City of Carrollton Code Enforcement (Neighborhood Integrity)
• City of Carrollton Utility Customer Service
• Denton County Justice of the Peace Precinct 6

ZIP codes we buy in: 75006, 75007, 75010