Selling a House in University Park

Three county desks for a University Park sale

University Park had 25,268 residents in the Census Bureau's 2024 population estimate, and Dallas County is the only county the Census lists for it. Three county desks hold the records a sale depends on.

Value and exemptions

The Dallas Central Appraisal District appraises property for the 61 local governing bodies in the county, takes homestead exemption filings at no charge, and offers informal review and the uFILE online protest. If you disagree with a value, the written protest is filed with the appraisal review board (Tax Code section 41.44), not with the district itself.

Tax bills

The Dallas County Tax Office names University Park on its list of cities whose property taxes it collects under contract. The office is in the Records Building, 500 Elm Street, Suite 3300, (214) 653-7811, and the page says "Se Habla Español." Your statement shows every taxing unit on the house, so check it before you list or sign.

Deeds and liens

The County Clerk's Recording Division records deeds, liens and releases from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, (214) 653-7099. It also runs a free property fraud alert, which is worth signing up for if the house will sit empty while you sell.

Occupancy standards cover empty houses too

Article 3.04 of the city code, Minimum Standards for Use and Occupancy, covers every building and premises in University Park, residential or not, occupied or unoccupied, no matter when it was built or what permits it once received. Several parts of it matter to an owner who is getting ready to sell:

• Tenants. Section 3.04.003 says an owner, or anyone who controls the letting of a dwelling, may not let a tenant occupy any part of it unless it meets the article's standards.
• Complaints and notice. Under section 3.04.006, any resident or city employee may report a violation to the community development department. If the building official finds one, the owner gets written notice, in person or by registered or certified mail.
• Deadlines. The notice requires the owner or occupant to begin the required work within twenty days of delivery or mailing, and to finish within sixty days of the notice unless the building official stipulates otherwise.
• Empty houses. The same section says any vacant building that is open at the doors and windows, if unguarded, is deemed dangerous to human life and a violation.
• The deed records. The building official may file the notice or order with the county clerk, and the code says that filing is notice to any later purchaser, grantee, mortgagee or lessee.

Section 3.04.006 also says no one may deface or remove an unfit placard until the public works director approves it in writing.

Council hearings and demolition liens

If an owner does not comply with the notice or appeal within twenty days, section 3.04.010 has the building official take the matter to the city council. The council holds a public hearing before it orders the work, and written notice of that hearing goes to the owner's last known address, in person or by certified mail, at least ten days ahead.

One of the council's options is to order demolition and levy its cost as a lien against the property. The code adds two limits a seller should know: that lien may not be enforced by forced sale of the property, and it is extinguished if the owner reimburses the city for the demolition expense. If a notice or lien was recorded against your lot, ask the city for its status and get any release on file before you sell.

The water account when nobody lives there

Article 13.03, the city's utility system service policies, puts some duties on owners that carry over to a vacant or rented house:

1. Before water is supplied, the owner or occupant files a written application on a form from the manager of the utility office. The application includes a contract to pay the water rate and sewer fees (section 13.03.002).
2. Monthly statements cover water, sewer and garbage. Customers have twenty days from mailing to pay without penalty; after that a ten percent penalty applies to the combined water and sewer bill (section 13.03.005).
3. Owners must promptly tell the utility office when a property becomes vacant or service is no longer wanted. If they do not, section 13.03.011 makes them liable for all water and sewer charges until they give notice or someone files a new application.

So if the house is empty while you sell, send that notice in writing and keep a copy. Our page on utilities in a vacant house explains who to call and what the services cost.

If the owner has died

A probate case is opened in the county where the person who died resided, if that person had a Texas domicile or fixed residence (Estates Code section 33.001). The location of the house does not decide it. For a University Park owner who lived in Dallas County, the county's probate courts page lists three courts on the 7th floor at 600 Commerce Street: The Probate Court, Probate Court No. 2 and Probate Court No. 3. Heirs who need legal help and qualify can contact Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, which lists a Dallas office at 1515 Main Street, 214-748-1234.

Working with Cash Home Advisors

Cash Home Advisors buys houses in University Park. You can sell as-is without making repairs, we pay all closing costs, and we can close in 7–14 days. Start with the offer form, read how it works, or, if the house came to you through an estate, see our guide to selling an inherited house in Texas.

Local offices for this area

• Dallas Central Appraisal District
• Dallas County Tax Office (jurisdictions it collects for)
• Dallas County Clerk, Recording Division
• Dallas County Probate Courts
• University Park Code: Minimum Standards for Use and Occupancy (Art. 3.04)
• University Park Code: Utility System Service Policies (Art. 13.03)

ZIP codes we buy in: 75205, 75225