Selling a house in Waxahachie

Ellis County offices in town

Waxahachie is an Ellis County city, and the county tax office's main office and the County Clerk are both here. The Census Bureau's 2024 estimate put its population at about 48,617. The county offices below are the ones a sale runs through.

• Value and ownership record. The Ellis Appraisal District appraises the property and keeps the owner name on file. Its portal has a "File Your Protest" button and a page for booking an informal appointment. Under Tax Code § 41.44, the written notice of protest goes to the appraisal review board, generally by May 15 or 30 days after your value notice is delivered, whichever is later.
• Tax bill. The Ellis County Tax Office keeps its main office at 302 N. Monroe St. (972-825-5150). Its collections-by-entity sheet lists the City of Waxahachie as one of the taxing units it collects for.
• Tax certificate. The tax office's property page says certificates can only be bought at the Waxahachie office, at $10 each.
• Deed. The Ellis County Clerk records real property at 109 S. Jackson St. (property recording line 972-825-5070), weekdays 8:00 to 4:30. Its Recording Division page says documents can also be submitted electronically through one of the county's approved eRecording vendors.

Historic districts and the Certificate of Appropriateness

Parts of Waxahachie are designated historic areas, and that affects what an owner may change on a house there. The city's Historic Preservation page names six National Register historic districts: West End, North Rogers Street, Oldham Avenue, Wyatt Street Shotgun House, Marvin-Patrick Street and the Ellis County Courthouse Historic District. It also names two local historic overlay districts, Downtown and Oldham Avenue. To check a lot, the page says to open the city's GIS map and turn on the Historic Resource Survey and Special Districts layers.

The Certificate of Appropriateness page cites Section 24-56: a certificate is required to alter, restore or build on any building in a historic overlay or historic district, on the National Register, designated a Texas Historic Landmark or State Archaeological Landmark, or considered a Historic Resource. Minor in-kind repairs are excluded. The page recommends talking with the Historic Preservation staff before you apply; the contact listed there is the Downtown Redevelopment and Historic Preservation manager at 469-309-4111.

Not sure whether earlier work on your house needed a certificate? Ask that office before you sign a contract.

Code violations and lien payoffs

Code enforcement in Waxahachie belongs to the Building and Community Services department. Its Code Enforcement page lists the typical types of violations: high grass and weeds, junk vehicles, outside storage, parking on unimproved surfaces, substandard structures, illegal signs and yard waste. The page says the division works with residents and owners to reach voluntary compliance, and the senior code enforcement officer listed there answers at 469-309-4134.

If a code enforcement lien is on the property, the same page has a "Lien Payoff Request" email link for payoff information on code enforcement liens. Ask for that figure before you pick a closing date, so the amount is known when the title work comes back.

Closing out the city utility account

The city bills water, wastewater, and solid waste and recycling collection through its Utility Billing Department at 412 S. Rogers St., Suite 110. The Start or Disconnect Services page is plain about stopping service: in person you fill out a disconnect form, and if the department does not receive one, you remain responsible for the services. Online, you log in to your account and submit a disconnect request.

The buyer then opens a new account. The same page asks for proof of purchase or a lease, the driver's license of each person on that document, an application and a deposit, and it charges a $22 fee on every new account. The page offers same-day service when all items are received by 3:00 p.m.

Back taxes, foreclosure, tenants and estates

Back taxes. Ellis County property taxes become delinquent on February 1. The tax office's property FAQ lists partial payments, a homestead installment agreement, and quarterly payments for owners who are disabled or 65 or older and qualify for the exemption. The same FAQ says a delinquent tax attorney, with the tax office's approval, can move to a tax sale after a tax lien foreclosure suit in District Court ends in a judgment. Its tax sales page says those auctions run online on the first Tuesday of every month at 10:00 a.m.

Mortgage foreclosure. Under Property Code § 51.002, a trustee's sale is a public auction between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month, with notice posted at the courthouse door and filed with the county clerk at least 21 days ahead. Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas lists a Waxahachie office at 110 East Main St., Suite 200 (972-923-3344) for people who qualify. Our foreclosure guide covers the options in more detail.

Tenants. An eviction suit is filed in the justice court for the precinct where the property sits (Property Code § 24.004), after written notice to vacate. Under § 24.005, a tenant who defaults or holds over generally gets at least three days' written notice, unless the lease sets a shorter or longer period.

An estate. Probate is opened in the county where the person who died lived (Estates Code § 33.001), so a Waxahachie resident's estate is an Ellis County case even if the house is somewhere else. The County Clerk's page says the clerk serves as clerk of the court for probate and guardianship cases and lists a Guardianship/Probate Division line, 972-825-5079. See our page on selling an inherited house.

Selling to Cash Home Advisors

You can sell your Waxahachie house as-is, without making repairs. We pay all closing costs, and we can close in 7–14 days. Read how it works, look over our notes on selling a vacant house, or send us the address.

Local offices for this area

• Ellis Appraisal District
• Ellis County Tax Office
• City of Waxahachie: Code Enforcement
• City of Waxahachie: Start or Disconnect Services
• City of Waxahachie: Certificate of Appropriateness

ZIP codes we buy in: 75165, 75167