Selling your house in Lancaster, Texas

The 48-inch rule and other Lancaster code basics

Lancaster, home to about 40,780 people in 2024 by the Census Bureau's count, has one rule every owner of an empty house should know. The city's common code violations sheet says weeds and grass over 12 inches are a violation, and that any weeds over 48 inches tall will be cut by a city contractor without a notice of violation being sent first. Below 48 inches, an owner who gets a notice has 10 days to fix it.

The same sheet lists other rules that come up when a house sits between owners:

• The yard must be kept up to the paved street, including the strip between the property line and the pavement. Where an alley is not paved, upkeep runs to the alley's centerline.
• Trees and shrubs cannot hang lower than 14 feet over a street or alley, or 7 feet over a sidewalk. If the owner does not trim them, the city can do it at the owner's expense.
• Cars in residential areas must be parked on concrete or asphalt. Gravel counts only where the subdivision has historically used it and the Code Official approves.
• A pool, spa or hot tub must be kept clean and enclosed by a fence at least 72 inches high, with self-closing, self-latching gates.

Code Compliance answers at (972) 218-1200; ask for the officer who covers your area. If you think a violation was issued in error, the city's Property Standards Appeals Board hears appeals from property owners.

Water, sewer and trash on one city bill

Lancaster's Utility Billing department at City Hall, 211 N. Henry, handles water and sewer accounts, and it also bills and collects for trash service on behalf of Community Waste Disposal (CWD), so trash is on the same city bill. Disconnecting the meter for a final bill is one of the services it lists.

Because of federal privacy rules, the department says it can discuss an account only with the person or people named on it. So the account holder should be the one who calls to set up the final read, at 972-218-1328. If the account is in someone else's name, such as a relative who has passed away, ask the office what it needs before your closing week.

Rental houses and tenants

Single-family houses and duplexes rented out in Lancaster must be registered every year under the city's rental registration program, with the fee set by the city's master fee schedule. On top of that, the city inspects a single-family or duplex rental each time the tenant changes, and charges a separate inspection fee for each of those inspections.

That matters if you plan to sell a house that is rented now. An eviction suit is filed in the justice court for the precinct where the property is located (Property Code sections 24.004 and 24.0041). Dallas County runs ten justice of the peace courts, and its JP courts page links a map that finds the district for an address. For legal help if you qualify, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas lists a Dallas office at 1515 Main St., 214-748-1234.

Dallas County offices for a Lancaster address

All of Lancaster is in Dallas County, so a single set of county offices covers every address:

• Dallas Central Appraisal District sets the value and handles exemptions. You file a protest with the Appraisal Review Board, which also hears it.
• The Dallas County Tax Office's list of jurisdictions it collects for includes the City of Lancaster, the Lancaster school district and the Lancaster Boardwalk public improvement district. Its downtown office is at 500 Elm Street, Suite 3300, phone (214) 653-7811. Check your own statement for every unit that taxes your lot, and ask for a payoff through your closing date if you are behind.
• Deeds, liens and releases of lien are recorded by the County Clerk's Recording Division, 500 Elm Street, Suite 2100, (214) 653-7099.

Foreclosure dates and probate

If a lender has posted the house for foreclosure, Texas law sets the sale for the first Tuesday of the month, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., with notice at least 21 days ahead (Property Code section 51.002). Dallas County holds these sales outside the George Allen Courts Building at 600 Commerce Street, and the clerk's foreclosure notices page sorts postings by city, with Lancaster files listed separately. Dallas County's Home Loan Counseling Center, a HUD-approved agency, offers free counseling in English and Spanish at (214) 819-6060.

If the owner has died, probate belongs in the county where that person lived, not necessarily where the house sits (Estates Code section 33.001). For a Lancaster resident, that is Dallas County, whose probate courts sit on the 7th floor of the George Allen Courts Building. A Texas probate attorney can tell you what the estate must do before anyone can sign a deed.

Selling your Lancaster house to Cash Home Advisors

With Cash Home Advisors, you can sell your Lancaster house as-is, without making repairs. We pay all closing costs, and we can close in 7–14 days. Se habla español.

Get started with the short form or read how it works. You may also find selling a vacant house and selling an inherited house in Texas useful.

Local offices for this area

• Dallas Central Appraisal District
• Dallas County Tax Office: Jurisdictions Collected
• Dallas County Clerk, Recording Division
• City of Lancaster Utility Billing
• City of Lancaster Rental Registration Program
• Dallas County Home Loan Counseling Center (HUD-approved)

ZIP codes we buy in: 75134, 75146

Neighborhoods: Ames Meadow, Anderson Farms, Beltline Ashmoore Estates, Eastside Acres, Glendover Estates, Harvest Hill, Hearthstone, Lancaster Boardwalk, Lancaster Historic Neighborhood District, Lancaster Mills