Sell your Stephenville house as it stands
You can sell as-is without making repairs, and we can close in 7–14 days.
- Close in 7–14 days
- We pay all closing costs
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Erath County offices for a Stephenville address
The Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates put Stephenville at 21,793 residents on July 1, 2025 (Census city and town tables). Stephenville is an Erath County city. The state Comptroller's Erath County directory lists the City of Stephenville and Stephenville ISD among the taxing units served by Erath County as the collecting unit.
| Task | Office | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Value, exemptions, protests | Erath County Appraisal District, 1195 W. South Loop, 254-965-5434 | The district's home page says it charges nothing for exemptions applied for there. A value protest is filed with the appraisal review board (Tax Code 41.44(a)). |
| Paying the bill | Erath County Tax Assessor-Collector, 222 E. College St., 254-965-8630 | Named in the Comptroller directory as the office for the Erath County collecting unit. |
| Recording the deed | Erath County Clerk | Property Code 11.001(a) says a real property instrument must be recorded in the county where part of the property is located. Local Government Code 193.003 has the county clerk keep the grantor and grantee index. |
Under Tax Code 31.02, taxes are generally delinquent if not paid before February 1 of the year after they are imposed. Read the tax statement to see each unit billed on your account.
Stephenville code rules that stay with the lot
Two parts of the city code can reach a house that sits empty.
Weeds and rubbish (Chapter 93)
- Section 93.07 makes cutting weeds the owner's primary duty. The premises reach out to the centerline of the street or alley beside the lot. In a prosecution, the owner may not argue that the tenant is the person to charge.
- Section 93.09 lets the city do the work itself if the owner does not act within ten days after written notice. When the owner cannot be served or the address is unknown, the ten days run from a notice posted on the property.
- Section 93.10 has the cost statement filed with the County Clerk through the City Secretary. The lien ranks second only to tax liens and street improvement liens, and it carries 10% interest from the filing date.
Dangerous buildings (Chapter 151)
Section 151.131 requires the hearing notice to go by certified mail at least ten days ahead. The owner, lienholder or mortgagee must bring proof of the work needed and the time it will take. Under Section 151.137, the building commission orders the building secured, repaired, removed or demolished within 30 days, unless the owner or lienholder shows at the hearing that the work cannot reasonably be done in that time. The commission may not allow more than 90 days unless a detailed plan and schedule are submitted and the scope and complexity of the work justify it.
Got a notice? Ask the city for the amount owed and whether a lien statement was filed.
Water service when a Stephenville house changes hands
The city's Utility Billing page sets out how a water account opens. You need a signed Water Utility Application and a copy of your driver's license. To prevent identity theft, the page says, the city does not open accounts without both.
- In most cases the residential water deposit is $150 and the connection fee is $20.00.
- The deposit may be waived if another utility sends a letter of credit showing your account in good standing for at least one year.
- Water is not connected until the deposit and connection fee, or the letter of credit, have been received.
Utility Billing is at City Hall, 298 W. Washington Street, 254-918-1220.
Our guide to utilities in a vacant house covers the other accounts.
Inherited houses and Erath County probate
Estates Code 33.001 sets probate venue in the county where the person who died lived, if that person had a domicile or fixed place of residence in Texas. If your parent lived in Stephenville, that is Erath County. If the owner lived in another Texas county, the case belongs there even though the house is in Stephenville.
Government Code 25.0741 gives Erath County one statutory county court, the County Court at Law of Erath County. Section 25.0003(d) of the same code gives a statutory county court probate jurisdiction concurrent with the county court. Ask the Erath County Clerk where a new probate filing goes.
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas lists Erath County among the counties its Weatherford office serves, at 100 Austin Ave., Ste. 201, 817-594-6332. It offers legal help for people who qualify.
More reading: selling an inherited house in Texas and is there a time limit to sell inherited property.
Behind on the mortgage in Erath County
Property Code 51.002 covers a sale of real property under a power of sale in a deed of trust or other contract lien. In plain terms, the statute says:
- The sale takes place on the first Tuesday of the month, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., at the county courthouse in the area the commissioners court designates. If that Tuesday is January 1 or July 4, the sale moves to the first Wednesday.
- Notice must go out at least 21 days before the sale. It is posted at the courthouse door, filed in the county clerk's office and sent by certified mail.
- When the house is the borrower's residence, the servicer must give at least 20 days to cure the default before notice of sale can be given.
Ask the Erath County Clerk how to look up posted sale notices for a Stephenville address.
Read selling a house to stop foreclosure in Texas and ways to stop a Texas foreclosure.
If you decide to sell to us
You can sell your Stephenville house as-is without making repairs. We can close in 7–14 days, and we pay all closing costs. If a mowing lien or back taxes are open, ask each office for a payoff figure first. Start on the offer form, read how it works, or see what selling as-is means in Texas.
Local offices for this area
- Erath County Appraisal District
- Erath County tax office (Comptroller directory)
- City of Stephenville Utility Billing
- Stephenville Code of Ordinances, Chapter 93
- Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, Weatherford office
ZIP codes we buy in: 76401, 76402
Frequently Asked Questions
Who collects property tax on a Stephenville house?
The Comptroller's Erath County directory lists the City of Stephenville and Stephenville ISD among the units served by the Erath County tax assessor-collector at 222 E. College St. Your tax statement shows each unit on your account.
Can Stephenville put a lien on my lot for mowing it?
Yes. Under Sections 93.09 and 93.10 of the city code, the city may do the work if the owner does not act within ten days after notice, then file the cost with the County Clerk as a lien that bears 10% interest.
What does it cost to start water at a Stephenville house?
The city's Utility Billing page says that in most cases the residential deposit is $150 and the connection fee is $20.00. You also need the signed application and a copy of your driver's license.
My mother lived in Stephenville. Where is her will probated?
Estates Code 33.001 puts venue in the county where she lived, so that is Erath County. Ask the Erath County Clerk which court takes the filing.
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