2011 Legislation

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The 82nd Texas Legislature ended its regular session May 30, 2011. All probate, guardianship and trust bills passed during the session have been signed by the Governor, and most become effective September 1, 2011. One bill in the first called session (SB 1) contains guardianship changes and, as of July 8, 2011, was awaiting the Governor's signature. Each bill affecting probate, guardianship and trust law is listed below. Click here to search for a particular bill, or use the list of topics and key words to the right to find legislation.

Useful links:

Texas Legislature Online.
Glenn Karisch's 2011 Legislative Update.
Bill Pargaman's 2011 Legislative Update -- All of the bills, the full text of all of the changes to the probate and trust codes and helpful forms.
Top Ten Things to Do Now -- Glenn Karisch's list of ten things estate planning and probate attorneys should do to address the legislative changes taking effect September 1, 2011. Here are the pdf and blog versions.

All bills are labeled "Awaiting Governor's Signature," "Enacted," or "Did Not Pass."
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Entries in SB 1368 (1)

Wednesday

Mar092011

Enacted-Effective 9/1/11: SB 1368 -- Authority of co-owner to encumber homestead property without consent of other co-owners

Caption: Relating to the authority of a co-owner of residential property to encumber the property.
Author: West
Bill History
Bill Text

Relevance: This bill allows a co-owner of residential property claimed as the co-owner's homestead to place a lien on the property in certain circumstances. The debt secured by the lien would be solely the obligation of the co-owner, but other co-owners could not repudiate or disaffirm the lien. This bill is intended to permit a co-owner who has paid all of the taxes on a property to create a lien to improve or preserve that property without the consent of other co-owners. This could come in handy in the case of property passing by intestacy to multiple heirs where only one heir occupies the property.