Sell your Cleburne house without fixing it first

One county, and its offices are in town

Cleburne is the county seat of Johnson County, and the whole city lies in Johnson County, with about 38,131 residents in the Census Bureau's 2024 estimate. That makes paperwork simpler than in cities that straddle a county line. Most of the offices you deal with when you sell are a short drive from downtown.

• Value. The city's property tax page says Cleburne properties are appraised by the Central Appraisal District of Johnson County as of January 1 each year.
• Tax bill. The city contracts with Johnson County to bill and collect its property taxes. The contact is Scott Porter, the Johnson County Tax Assessor-Collector, at 2 North Mill Street, 817-558-0122.
• Deed. The Johnson County Clerk records real property in Room B15 of the Historic Courthouse at 2 N. Main. The clerk also runs a property fraud alert sign-up.

Cleburne code rules for owners and landlords

In April 2023 the City Council adopted the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, according to the city's IPMC page, which says the goal is voluntary compliance rather than enforcement. The common code violations list is a good walk-through before you put a house on the market. It includes grass and weeds 8 inches or taller, piled-up rubbish, outdoor storage of appliances and building materials, stagnant water and swimming pools, and dead trees.

Landlords have one more rule to know. Under the city's Rental Housing / Negligent Property Program, any complaint about a leased property triggers an inspection. A rental with three or more documented violations in 12 months is deemed a negligent property and enrolled in the program. That brings a $100 yearly registration fee and re-inspections, and enrollment lasts at least 24 months from the date the certificate of compliance is issued. If you are selling a rental, ask Code Compliance (817-645-0977) whether the property is enrolled or has open violations.

If your tenant pays with a Housing Choice Voucher, the Cleburne Housing Agency runs that program within city limits. Ask the agency about the tenant's contract before you plan a sale date.

Permits, inspections and utilities

Fixing up before you sell often means pulling permits. Cleburne's Building Inspections division says permits are required before construction begins, and both new and remodel work is permitted and inspected. Inspection requests made before 4 p.m. are scheduled for the next day. Emergency inspections are done the same day they are requested, including an electrical service change or reconnect, a gas test, and water and sewer line work. That matters for a house that has sat empty with the power or gas off.

The city's Utility Billing department bills and collects for water, sewer and sanitation, and trash service comes with an approved water application. The city is split into five billing zones, each with its own monthly due date, so check your zone before you set the date to end service. If you would rather skip repairs, permits and reconnections, an as-is sale is the other route.

When the house comes to you through an estate

When a parent who lived in Cleburne dies, the estate is normally handled in Johnson County, because Texas sets probate venue in the county where the person lived (Estates Code § 33.001). Filings go through the County Clerk's probate and guardianship section, which notes that the original will must be filed with the clerk within three days of e-filing the application. The County Court at Law No. 2 page lists probate staff and posts a small estate affidavit form.

A small estate affidavit is a narrower tool. Under Estates Code chapter 205, it applies when someone died without a will, at least 30 days have passed, no one has asked the court to appoint a representative, and the estate's assets, not counting the homestead and exempt property, are $75,000 or less. If the homestead is the only real estate, title to it can pass under the affidavit, which must be recorded in the deed records of the county where the home is. Whether your family qualifies is a question for a Texas probate attorney. Our posts on getting heir property in your name and selling an inherited house go further.

Foreclosure and tax sales at the Historic Courthouse

Johnson County holds its foreclosure auctions in Cleburne. The County Clerk's foreclosure page says the sale is held on the exterior steps outside the west doors of the Historic Courthouse, facing Main Street. Notices go up at least 21 days ahead on the bulletin board outside the clerk's office and on the county's online records search. State law sets the window: the first Tuesday of the month, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., moved to the first Wednesday when that Tuesday falls on January 1 or July 4 (Property Code § 51.002).

The clerk's page also notes that the Constable's tax sale runs at the same time outside the Constable's Office, Room B6. That one is for unpaid property taxes, not a mortgage. The clerk takes no part in either sale, so questions go to the trustee or attorney named on the notice. For free legal help, see Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, or read our guide to stopping foreclosure in DFW.

Selling to Cash Home Advisors

You can sell as-is without making repairs or pulling permits first. We pay all closing costs, and we can close in 7–14 days. Se habla español. Read how it works or send us your Cleburne address.

Local offices for this area

• Central Appraisal District of Johnson County
• Johnson County Tax Office
• Johnson County Clerk: Foreclosure Sales
• City of Cleburne: Code Compliance
• City of Cleburne: Rental Housing / Negligent Property Program
• City of Cleburne: Building Permits and Services

ZIP codes we buy in: 76031, 76033