Statewide evictions on hold through April 19: Late Thursday afternoon, the Texas Supreme Court issued an emergency order immediately suspending almost all residential evictions through April 19, 2020. There is a limited exception for an eviction based on a person posing an imminent threat of physical harm to another resident or the rental property’s staff, or for criminal activity. The order applies statewide. Courts may accept new filings, but citation will not be served until after April 19, and the time periods associated with the filings are suspended. Similarly, courts may issues writs of possession, but writs will not be executed until after April 26.
TAA worked with the governor’s office, the Supreme Court of Texas and Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, the state’s largest legal aid organization, to reach a consensus on eviction court procedures that would be uniform and fair to all parties. “The Court’s action Thursday provides a uniform approach that will be consistent statewide, and will replace the patchwork of conflicting measures being adopted in different Texas communities,” said TAA President Mark Hurley.
Read our full statement and some FAQs about the Court’s order.
TAA Resource Page https://www.taa.org/resources/useful-resources-for-responding-to-covid-19-novel-coronavirus/
Advocate for resident and industry relief: Congress is considering additional measures to relieve economic disruption caused by the pandemic, and support Americans who’ve been affected. In order to provide the most effective relief to our residents and the industry, NAA is suggesting a two-pronged approach: Congress should provide direct assistance to renters as well as support for impacted property owners and operators. Communicate with your congressman using NAA’s suggested letter.
NAA webinar series and other resources: The National Apartment Association (NAA) is introducing a new video series as part of its COVID-19 (coronavirus) resources. These brief, 10-minute or less micro-webinars will examine and provide guidance on pressing issues affecting the rental housing industry in light of coronavirus. View the first micro-webinar, “Teleworking Amid COVID-19,” which shares guidance that will be helpful as organizations transition from normal business operations to working remotely.
FOR APARTMENT ASSOCIATION MEMBERS ONLY
Free Sample Forms: We have two new sample forms to assist you in working with your residents. These are a “Notice of Temporary Waiver of Late Fees” and a “Payment Plan Agreement” if you opt to offer residents options for extending their rent payments. TAA encourages members to work with residents directly affected by the coronavirus, and to waive late fees. These are also available in TAA REDBOOK Online in both Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word versions, and will be available to TAA Click & Lease users now in a print-only form, and as forms you can complete through Click & Lease on March 25.
COVID-19 and Rental Housing in Texas webinar resources: The recording and presentation from the March 18 TAA webinar are now available. Additional resources, including key takeaways and FAQs, will be coming soon.
Questions? TAA has a dedicated email for members with coronavirus-related questions: COVID-19@taa.org