Selling a House in Kennedale, Texas

Septic tank or city sewer: Kennedale's 100-foot rule

Kennedale is a Tarrant County city of about 10,771 residents, according to the Census Bureau 2024 estimate. If a Kennedale house runs on a septic tank, the city code decides whether that tank can stay. Article III of Chapter 23 of the Kennedale code sets the line at 100 feet:

• A building where people live or work must connect to the public sewer if its lot borders a street, alley or easement with a sewer main in it, if a main crosses the lot, or if the lot line is within 100 feet of a main.
• Where no public sewer is within 100 feet, an approved septic tank may be used. Written application goes to the city building inspector, and the system must meet county and state health department requirements.
• A building that was on a septic tank before these rules must hook up to an available sewer once the tank becomes inadequate or defective. Repairing, enlarging or rebuilding a septic tank on a lot that meets that 100-foot test is unlawful.
• If the premises do not conform, the city gives the owner or occupant written notice, and water service is cut off unless the problem is fixed within ten days of receiving it.

So if you are selling a house with a failing tank, ask the city first how far the nearest sewer main is. The answer decides whether the fix is a tank repair or a sewer connection.

Grass, edging and bamboo

Article I of Chapter 15 of the city code sets grass limits that apply inside Kennedale and within 5,000 feet outside the city limits. Grass and weeds may not pass 8 inches on residential or developed lots, 12 inches on average on undeveloped land, or 24 inches for grazing grass on agricultural-exempt land with a fire break. The owner or tenant must also edge along the sidewalk, curb and parkway and keep drainage easements and bar ditches clear.

After a notice, the owner has ten days. The city may then do the work, and the bill carries a right to ask for a hearing within ten days. If the bill is not paid within thirty days, the mayor or a designee files a lien with the county clerk at ten percent a year, ranking behind only tax and street-improvement liens. Weeds taller than 48 inches that are an immediate danger can be cut without prior notice; the owner is told within ten days afterward.

Kennedale also regulates bamboo: bamboo that spreads onto a neighbor's lot or the right-of-way is a nuisance, and bamboo may only be grown in a required enclosure. It is a defense if you did not plant it and have started removing it, which helps an heir who finds it already in the yard.

Deposits and late water bills

Article I of Chapter 23 of the Kennedale code covers billing. Every customer pays a deposit before water service begins. The city holds it in a special fund and, unless it is applied to a water, sewer or garbage bill, refunds it when service is terminated. A bill not paid by its due date gets a ten-percent penalty and puts both water and sewer service at risk, since the code calls the two services indivisible. A customer may ask for a hearing at city hall, set not less than five days after the notice.

The code also says a property whose account is 30 days or more past due with a balance of $45 or more, or that is shut off for nonpayment with a balance owed, needs a lease agreement and government ID to get service. If your account is behind, ask the city for the balance before you sell.

Tarrant County taxes and mineral interests

The City of Kennedale and Kennedale ISD are both on the Tarrant County rate list, and the Tarrant Appraisal District sets the value. The county's property tax FAQ explains a point worth checking before you sell: a mineral interest is real property of its own, completely separate from the home. It is not part of the home's value, each interest in each gas well is a separate tax account with its own bill, and the unit is identified by name and a Texas Railroad Commission number rather than a street address. TAD keeps maps of gas units. If you get small mineral tax bills, ask a Texas real estate attorney how your deed will treat that interest.

For an estate, probate is filed where the owner lived (Estates Code 33.001), and the deed is recorded with the Tarrant County Clerk.

Selling to Cash Home Advisors

Cash Home Advisors lets you sell your Kennedale house as-is without making repairs. We can close in 7–14 days, and we pay all closing costs. How it works · Get an offer

Local offices for this area

• Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector: property tax FAQs
• Tarrant County Clerk: real estate records
• Kennedale Code, Chapter 23, Article III (sewers and sewage disposal)
• Kennedale Code, Chapter 15, Article I (nuisances)

ZIP codes we buy in: 76060