Property Litigation

Yes. Cities can only charge impact fees within the strict limits of Chapter 395, Texas Local Government Code — the fee must rest on valid land-use assumptions and a capital improvements plan, be calculated as the statute requires, and actually fund the improvements that justify it. Fees that exceed those limits, or are tacked onto permits and utility connections without the required study, can be challenged in court. And under the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Sheetz v. County of El Dorado (2024), an impact fee out of proportion to your project's actual impact can be attacked as an unconstitutional exaction under the Takings Clause — in state or federal court. We litigate these fights for landowners and developers.

Yes — and that is usually where the real fight is. Senate Bill 2038 makes release from a city's ETJ mandatory: as the courts have put it, a valid petition is a matter of paperwork, not permission. Many cities have denied or ignored valid petitions anyway, kept regulating released land, or tried to pull it back into the ETJ while they challenge the law. In Elliott v. City of College Station, the Texas Supreme Court sent a clear message that cities cannot simply ignore SB 2038 while it is on the books. When a city stonewalls, litigation — declaratory and injunctive relief compelling the release and stopping the city's regulation — is how the right gets enforced. We have fought and won ETJ battles against Texas cities, including a summary-judgment victory over the City of Taylor.

Yes — this is exactly what Texas Local Government Code § 43.141 is for. When a city annexes your land, it must deliver the services in its own annexation service plan: water, sanitary sewer, fire protection, road maintenance. If the city collects your taxes but fails to deliver, a majority of the area's qualified voters can petition for disannexation — and if the city refuses, you can sue to force it. That is how our clients beat the City of Taylor: annexed in 2018, five years of empty promises, a dismissive denial of their petition, and in 2025 a Williamson County district court ruled the property must be disannexed. Cities must fish or cut bait — they cannot annex land, take the tax money, and leave you without services.