Selling a House in White Settlement, Texas

The car in the driveway: White Settlement's junked vehicle rule

White Settlement is a Tarrant County city of about 18,099 people, per the Census Bureau 2024 estimate. One snag a family can hit when selling a parent's house here is the car left behind: a sedan with an expired license plate, or a pickup that has not started in months. Article III of Chapter 24 of the White Settlement code treats that as a possible public nuisance.

• What counts. A vehicle that is wrecked, dismantled, discarded or inoperable, and has stayed inoperable for more than 30 consecutive days on private property. The code declares such vehicles a public nuisance when they are visible from a public place or public right-of-way. A motor vehicle with an expired license plate, or none, is included.
• Who gets notice. The last registered owner on the title, any lienholder of record, and the owner or occupant of the property. A copy goes on the windshield, and the city must give not less than ten days' notice before it acts.
• A hearing. A written request to the municipal court clerk, made before the ten-day period ends, gets a public hearing before the municipal judge.
• The penalty. Keeping the nuisance is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $200, and each day is a separate offense.
• The exception. A vehicle completely enclosed in a building and not visible from the street or other property is outside the rule.

Decide early whether the car will be sold, moved into the garage or hauled off, so a notice does not arrive in the middle of your sale.

One mowing notice can cover a whole season

Article V of the same chapter covers weeds, grass and obstructions. Grass and weeds may not average more than 10 inches tall or grow in rank profusion. The city may send a letter to the owner's last known post office address, and a notice at the beginning of each growing season is enough for the whole season. After not less than ten days, the city may mow and may repeat the work through that season without another letter.

The bill covers the actual cost plus a reasonable administrative charge and is due within thirty days of mailing. If it goes unpaid, the mayor may file a statement with the county clerk. That gives the city a privileged lien on the lot, second only to tax liens and street-improvement liens, with ten percent interest. Because the letter goes to the owner's last known post office address, make sure mail sent there still reaches you after you move.

Leaks, meters and the water bill

An empty house can hide a slow leak. Under Article III of Chapter 40 of the city code, the water and sewer department repairs service lines from the main up to and including the meter, and everything past the meter is the customer's job. The city does not charge to turn the water off or on for a repair during normal business hours; after hours the charge is in the city fee schedule.

If a leak past the meter runs up a bill, a customer may apply for an adjustment. The account must be a residential single-family or multifamily account with its own meter, and usage for that period must beat the average of the previous three billing periods by 33 percent or more. You also need a receipt for a plumber's repair, or for the plumbing supplies used, dated within thirty days of the request. A buyer who opens new service applies to the same department.

Tarrant County taxes, deeds and probate

Every White Settlement address is handled by Tarrant County offices. The Tarrant Appraisal District sets the value. The Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector lists the City of White Settlement and White Settlement ISD among the units on its rate list. Its tax FAQ says unpaid taxes become delinquent on February 1 and that not getting a statement does not excuse the tax, penalty or interest. Each year's tax is a lien on the property under Tax Code 32.01, so ask the tax office for a payoff figure before you sell.

Deeds are recorded with the Tarrant County Clerk. If the owner has died, probate is filed in the county where that person lived (Estates Code 33.001); for Tarrant residents that means the Tarrant County probate courts. Our guide to selling an inherited house goes further.

Selling to Cash Home Advisors

You can sell your White Settlement house to Cash Home Advisors as-is without making repairs. We can close in 7–14 days and we pay all closing costs. Read how it works, then ask for an offer.

Local offices for this area

• Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector: property tax
• Tarrant County Clerk: real estate records
• White Settlement Code, Chapter 24, Article III (junked vehicles)
• White Settlement Code, Chapter 40, Article III (water system)

ZIP codes we buy in: 76108