Texas Supreme Court extends halt on eviction proceedings until May 1 amid coronavirus
The Texas Supreme Court extended its original deadline and halted residential eviction proceedings in Texas through April 30 due to the novel coronavirus’ spread.
An emergency order issued Monday by Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht notes that while filings can still be submitted, no trial, hearing, or other eviction proceeding may be conducted until after April 30. And while a writ of possession may be issued, its posting and execution cannot occur until after May 7.
Exceptions will be made if the court determines that a tenant or occupant’s actions pose an imminent threat of physical harm to a landlord, their employees or other tenants, or if tenants are engaging in criminal activity, according to the order.
The order is effective immediately, and can be extended by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The Texas Supreme Court had previously halted eviction proceedings through April 19.
The emergency order is the Texas Supreme Court’s ninth since Gov. Greg Abbott declared of a state of disaster last month, and the extension through April 30 aligns with Abbott’s order for Texans to stay at home unless participating in services or activities deemed essential by the state through that date.
The Texas Supreme Court’s previous orders have allowed Texas courts to suspend nonessential proceedings, temporarily suspend certain deadlines, clarified the handling of court-ordered child visitation agreements affected by school closures, and more.
This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 11:01 AM.
