Sell Your Mesquite House As-Is

Mesquite sits in Dallas County and Kaufman County

Mesquite had 150,140 residents in the Census Bureau's 2024 estimate. Most of the city is in Dallas County, and part of it is in Kaufman County. A house on each side deals with a different set of county offices:

	Dallas County side	Kaufman County side
Appraisal	Dallas Central Appraisal District	Kaufman Central Appraisal District
Tax collection	Dallas County Tax Office	Kaufman County Tax Assessor-Collector
Deeds and liens	Dallas County Clerk, Recording Division	Kaufman County Clerk

The Dallas County Tax Office lists the City of Mesquite and Mesquite ISD among the jurisdictions it collects for. In Kaufman County, the tax office says statements usually go out in early October and taxes must be paid by January 31. Not sure which side you are on? Search the address on DCAD. If it does not appear, search Kaufman CAD.

How Mesquite handles vacant houses

An empty house in Mesquite gets the city's attention on a set schedule. The vacant property process starts when a house is on the city's Vacant Property Database. The owner gets an initial notice. Code staff do a first inspection about three weeks later. If they find a violation, a notice of violation goes out and a re-inspection follows in 7 to 10 days. If the problems continue, a final notice puts the property on a recurring maintenance schedule for one year, with work on a three-week rotation.

The page lists the rules inspectors check most:

• Grass, weeds and brush kept under eight inches (Sec. 10-127).
• Limbs trimmed to clear sidewalks, streets and signs (Sec. 15.5-9).
• A vacant structure that is unfit to live in must be closed up so it is not an attractive nuisance (IPMC 108.2).

Code violations can be reported through the city's 24-hour hotline at 972-216-6276, listed on the Neighborhood Services page. The same department runs Housing and Community Services, which lists housing rehabilitation and emergency repair programs with their own eligibility rules. If you plan to keep the house, ask about those first. If you plan to sell, our vacant house checklist helps you keep it secure in the meantime.

Inherited houses and probate

If a Mesquite house is empty because the owner passed away, the county decides which court handles the estate. Probate is generally opened in the county where the owner lived (Texas Estates Code 33.001). Dallas County has three probate courts: the Probate Court, Probate Court No. 2 and Probate Court No. 3. They probate wills and declare heirs when there is no will. In Kaufman County, the County Clerk's court department serves as clerk for the County Court at Law and County Court at Law 2 and keeps the official probate and guardianship case files. It also issues letters testamentary, and it posts a small estate affidavit form with instructions.

Timing matters. Under Texas Estates Code 256.003, a will generally cannot be admitted to probate after the fourth anniversary of the death, with limited exceptions. A probate attorney can tell you whether the estate needs a full probate, an heirship case or a small estate affidavit before anyone can sign a deed. For the selling side, see how long an executor has to sell a house and our guide to selling an inherited house in Texas.

Rental licenses and water accounts

Mesquite requires every rental property to be registered with the city. For a house, that means a Single-Family Rental Property License, applied for through the city's online CSS portal. The license is issued once the house passes inspection. After it passes, the owner has 90 days to place a tenant and move the water account into the tenant's name. If that window runs out, the passed inspection, or green tag, expires and the owner has to apply and be inspected again. If you are selling a rental between tenants, tell the buyer where the license stands.

Water accounts have their own rules. The Utility Billing FAQ says a request to disconnect water must be made in writing on the city's disconnection form. You cannot pick a date earlier than the day you submit it. Requests that arrive after 3:00 p.m. are handled the next business day at the earliest. A new owner starting service needs a government-issued ID plus a settlement statement, deed or lease.

Foreclosure notices and evictions

Foreclosure sales in Texas take place on the first Tuesday of the month, after a notice posted and filed at least 21 days ahead (Property Code 51.002). The Dallas County Clerk explains where its sales happen and how to look up notices by city. Kaufman County notices appear on the County Clerk's foreclosure notice board. The Dallas County Home Loan Counseling Center, a HUD-approved agency, gives free foreclosure counseling in English and Spanish.

For a tenant problem, evictions go to the justice of the peace court for the precinct where the house is (Property Code 24.004). Dallas County has a justice of the peace court in the Mesquite Government Center at 500 S. Galloway Avenue, JP 2-2. Use the county's district locator to confirm your precinct.

Selling 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.

See how it works, or go straight to the get an offer form. Nearby, we also have pages for Garland and Dallas.

Local offices for this area

• Dallas Central Appraisal District
• Kaufman Central Appraisal District
• Kaufman County Tax Assessor-Collector
• Kaufman County Clerk
• City of Mesquite Vacant Properties (Code Enforcement)
• City of Mesquite Utility Billing FAQ

ZIP codes we buy in: 75126, 75149, 75150, 75181