Texas Supreme Court: Evictions, Debt Collections May Resume

Press release from the City of Fort Worth:

May 18, 2020

Evictions and debt collection proceedings can resume in Texas this week, the Texas Supreme Court has ordered. The court had temporarily put both actions on hold to protect people whose livelihood had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Debt collectors can begin garnishing accounts May 18.

Eviction hearings can begin on May 19, with orders authorizing evictions allowed to start on May 26. However, tenants covered under a federal moratorium have through Aug. 23. Check a database of apartment communities covered under the federal moratorium.

The Texas Supreme Court had temporarily halted evictions in late March. That same month, Tarrant County suspended eviction proceedings, but the order was subject to change following new statewide directives.

Help is Available

• Fort Worth’s Neighborhood Services Department is accepting applications for several programs designed to assist residents with housing and other household expenses resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. Fort Worth has received $15.4 million in CARES Act funds from the federal government. That amount is estimated to serve about 4,284 households locally. Learn about program qualifications.
• Check the Community Resources page or the Community Action Partners page.
• Call 211, 24 hours a day, to be connected to a comprehensive list of community services.
• Get detailed information on evictions

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This press release was produced by the City of Fort Worth. The views expressed here are the author’s own.