1-1     By:  Keel (Senate Sponsor - Wentworth)                H.B. No. 2141

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 21, 1997;

 1-3     April 23, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Intergovernmental Relations; May 8, 1997, reported favorably by the

 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0; May 8, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the seizure and sale of certain property by certain

 1-9     municipalities.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 214.004, Local Government Code, is

1-12     amended to read as follows:

1-13           Sec. 214.004.  SEIZURE AND SALE OF PROPERTY TO RECOVER

1-14     EXPENSES.  A Type A general-law municipality or home-rule

1-15     municipality may foreclose a lien on property under this

1-16     subchapter:

1-17                 (1)  in a proceeding relating to the property brought

1-18     under Subchapter E, Chapter 33, Tax Code; or

1-19                 (2)  in a judicial proceeding, if:

1-20                       (A)  a building or other structure on the

1-21     property has been demolished;

1-22                       (B)  a lien for the cost of the demolition of the

1-23     building or other structure on the property has been created and

1-24     that cost has not been paid more than 180 days after the date the

1-25     lien was filed; and

1-26                       (C)  ad valorem taxes are delinquent on all or

1-27     part of the property.

1-28           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-29     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-30     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-31     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-32     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-33     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-34     passage, and it is so enacted.

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