Selling a house in Venus

Which county your Venus lot is in

The Census Bureau places Venus in two counties, Johnson County and Ellis County, and its 2024 estimate was about 8,209 residents. Each county has its own appraisal district and county clerk, so the first question for a Venus sale is which side of the county line the lot is on.

• Johnson County side. The Central Appraisal District of Johnson County is at 109 N. Main St. in Cleburne, (817) 648-3000. Deeds are recorded by the Johnson County Clerk in Room B15 of the Historic Courthouse, 2 N. Main, which also offers a Property Fraud Alert sign-up.
• Ellis County side. The Ellis Appraisal District covers this part; its portal has a Map Search and a "File Your Protest" link. Deeds on that side are recorded by the Ellis County Clerk at 109 S. Jackson St. in Waxahachie (972-825-5070).
• Protests. On either side, a value protest is a written notice to that district's appraisal review board (Tax Code § 41.44).

Who bills the city tax

The city's Tax Information page sends property owners to the Johnson County Tax Assessor-Collector: P.O. Box 75, Cleburne, or the office at 2 North Mill Street. Over in Waxahachie, the Ellis County Tax Office's 2025 rates and collections sheet carries the heading "do not collect for hi-lighted entities," and the City of Venus row is one of the highlighted ones. If your lot is on the Ellis County side, ask the Johnson County office and the Ellis County Tax Office which levies each one bills before you treat the taxes as paid.

The Johnson County office's FAQ says taxes are due when the bill arrives, January 31 is the last day to pay without penalty, and they turn delinquent on February 1. It accepts partial payments, and owners who are 65 or older, disabled or disabled veterans can pay homestead taxes in four installments if the first quarter is paid before February 1. Its locations page lists the Cleburne office and sub-courthouses in Alvarado and Burleson, all at (817) 558-0122.

City Hall pages to check before a sale

The city lists 700 W. US Highway 67 as the address for code enforcement and for paying utility bills at City Hall, open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Three of the city's pages are worth reading before a sale.

• Code enforcement. The Code Enforcement page lists what the department enforces: garage sales, high grass, weeds and debris, parking on unimproved surfaces, signs, substandard structures, swimming pools, fences, junk and trash, and junk vehicles. The department's number is 972-366-8963, and the page links a "Report a Concern" form.
• Water, or not. The Utility Billing page says the department handles billing for water, sewer and sanitation, and it gives two phone numbers: 972-366-3348 for City of Venus water customers and 972-775-3765 for Mountain Peak SUD customers. It also offers a separate Sewer / Trash application next to the full Water / Sewer / Trash one. Ask which provider serves the house before the buyer applies.
• Permits for past work. The Permit Information page says building permits are required for new construction, remodeling, repairs, additions, lawn sprinklers and signs. If you are unsure whether an earlier project needed one, you can send the city's Permit Determination Form and the Chief Building Official will return a written determination. Electrical work must be done by a licensed electrical contractor, and plumbing and HVAC installers must be licensed and registered with the City.

Foreclosure, tenants and estates on both sides of the line

Foreclosure across a county line. Under Property Code § 51.002, notice of a trustee's sale must be posted at the courthouse door of each county where the property is located, and filed with the county clerk, at least 21 days before the first-Tuesday sale. For Johnson County, the clerk's foreclosure sales page says notices go on the bulletin board outside Room B15 and online, and sales take place on the steps outside the west doors of the Historic Courthouse in Cleburne. The same statute lets a sale of land that lies in more than one county be held at the courthouse of any of those counties, and the posted notice must name the county where the property will be sold. Our foreclosure guide explains the choices that remain.

Tenants. An eviction is filed in the justice court for the precinct where the house sits (Property Code § 24.004). Johnson County's justice of the peace page lists four precincts, and the Precinct 3 page links a locator map for finding yours. A house on the Ellis County side goes to the Ellis County justice court for its precinct instead.

An estate. Probate is opened where the person who died lived (Estates Code § 33.001), not where the house is. A Venus resident on the Johnson County side means a Johnson County case, and the clerk's probate page says the original will must be filed with the clerk within three days of e-filing the application. A resident on the Ellis County side means an Ellis County case. The Ellis County Clerk's page lists a Guardianship/Probate Division line, 972-825-5079. Our page on selling an inherited house covers the next steps.

Selling to Cash Home Advisors

Whichever county your Venus house is in, you can sell it as-is, without making repairs. We pay all closing costs, and we can close in 7–14 days. Read how it works, see our notes on selling a house as-is, or send us the address.

Local offices for this area

• Central Appraisal District of Johnson County
• Ellis Appraisal District
• Johnson County Tax Office: Locations and Hours
• City of Venus: Tax Information
• City of Venus: Utility Billing
• City of Venus: Permit Information

ZIP codes we buy in: 76084