Selling a House in Highland Village

Denton County offices for a Highland Village address

Highland Village had about 16,137 residents in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Census places the whole city in Denton County. For a seller, that means one appraisal district, one county tax office and one county clerk:

• Denton Central Appraisal District appraises the property. If you disagree with a value, you file a protest with the Appraisal Review Board, which also hears it. The deadline is May 15 or 30 days after your notice was mailed, whichever is later.
• The Denton County Tax Assessor-Collector (P.O. Box 90223, Denton; 940-349-3500) issues tax certificates for $10 each, which show what is owed on an account.
• The Denton County Clerk's Recording Division at 1450 E. McKinney St. in Denton keeps deeds and recorded liens.

The city's Taxes page lists Lewisville ISD, the City of Highland Village and Denton County in its area combined rate. Your own statement is the place to confirm which taxing units bill your house.

What the city's property maintenance checklist covers

The city says its Code Enforcement Division enforces the Property Maintenance Code proactively, on every existing structure, and that the owner is responsible for keeping buildings and premises up to it. Its checklist for owners includes:

• no broken glass, loose roof or siding shingles, peeling paint or crumbling brick or stone on the outside of the house;
• doors, windows, storm doors and screens in working order;
• no rodents, and no debris or junk in the yard;
• trash carts at the curb no earlier than one day before pickup and put away within one day after;
• trees and shrubs trimmed to leave 8 feet of clearance over sidewalks and 14 feet over the street;
• no vehicle kept on the street or on private property if it does not run or lacks a current plate or registration.

The Code Enforcement page adds stagnant swimming pools, junk vehicles in plain view, outdoor storage of junk, and vehicles or trailers parked on the grass to its list of nuisance issues. The number for a code enforcement officer is (972) 899-5092.

Tall grass at an empty house: notice, cleanup and lien

A house that sits empty after a move or a death often shows up first as tall grass. Article 10.05 of the city's Code of Ordinances sets out what happens next:

1. Grass, weeds or brush taller than 12 inches is unlawful on any lot, occupied or not, and the owner must also keep the strip out to the curb clear.
2. The city gives ten days' written notice, by letter or by publishing it twice in its official newspaper.
3. If the work is not done in those ten days, the city may mow and clean up the lot itself and bill the owner for the cost plus $50 in administrative costs.
4. If the bill goes unpaid, a statement is filed with the county clerk. That creates a privileged lien on the property, second only to tax liens and street improvement liens, with 10% interest, and the city may sue to foreclose it.
5. Separately, ignoring the notice can bring a municipal court fine of up to $2,000, and each day counts as a new offense.

If you are out of town, have someone check the yard and the mailbox so a notice does not sit unread. Our guide to selling a vacant house covers other steps.

An inherited house: probate, utilities and the senior exemption

When a Highland Village homeowner dies, the estate goes to probate in Denton County because Texas sets venue in the county where the person lived (Estates Code 33.001). Denton County has two statutory probate courts, No. 1 and No. 2, both at 3900 Morse St., Suite 100, in Denton. Their pages say they probate wills and declare the heirs of people who die without one.

While the estate is open, someone still has to keep the utilities and the yard in order. Highland Village's Utility Billing office bills water, sewer, garbage and recycling, drainage and composting/hazardous waste. A new account needs a $150 deposit unless the customer is 65 or older, and the deposit is refunded on the final bill if it has not been refunded already. Bills are mailed on the first of the month, and payments after the 20th carry a 10% penalty with a $5 minimum.

If the owner who died was 65 or older or disabled, the Taxes page notes a $75,000 city exemption applied for through DCAD; heirs should ask DCAD how the change in ownership affects it. See our page on selling an inherited house in Texas for more.

Selling your Highland Village house to Cash Home Advisors

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

Start with an offer request, or read how it works first. Heirs can also read our post on selling inherited property in DFW.

Local offices for this area

• City of Highland Village Code Enforcement
• City of Highland Village Utility Billing
• City of Highland Village Taxes
• Denton Central Appraisal District
• Denton County Tax Assessor-Collector: Property Tax
• Denton County Clerk, Recording Division

ZIP codes we buy in: 75077