Yearly Archives: 2019
Eminent Domain in the Lone Star State
The subject of Eminent Domain is coming up more and more frequently for Texas municipalities due to the rapid growth in population that Texas has been experiencing over the last decade. While the wave of people moving to the Lonestar State has started to recede thanks to the decline in unemployment across this great… Read More »
After Texas Put a Stop to Red-Light Cameras, Drivers Can Still Slow Down
According to the New York Times, the use of red-light cameras in the United States started in New York City, which tested one in 1992 and then turned on more of them over the years. Other state and city governments gradually adopted them, and by 2018, there were about 400 communities in the United… Read More »
Vacancies, Resignations, Removals, and Holdovers
This blog entry is based on a presentation originally given by former Randle Law Office attorney Timothy Kirwin. Vacancies, Resignations, Removals, and Holdovers Topic Overview: Focus on Type A General law cities, but at times reference Type B and C cities These laws apply to cities with council terms of 2 years or less… Read More »
When You Wish Upon, or Name, a Star for Christmas
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, I inevitably start hearing advertisements for an odd sort of gift: “name a star after someone.” Perhaps you’ve begun hearing these advertisements, too, and perhaps you’ve even gone and named a star after someone. Naming a star after someone is certainly a unique gift, especially for a… Read More »
Texas Cities Maintain Control Over All Streets within Their Boundaries
Lake Jackson may be the only Texas town to have named its streets This Way, That Way, Any Way, and His Way (which runs behind a church), but for all municipal streets in the Lone Star State, it’s either the city’s way or the highway. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 311 makes it abundantly clear… Read More »
Sick-Leave Ordinances by Texas Cities Face Opposition by State, Private-Sector Employers
At some point in our lives, we’ve all been under the weather and had to take a day or two off of work. Many employers offer paid sick leave for their employees when the inevitable stomach bug or flu strikes. However, millions of Texas workers are not so fortunate. For those without paid sick… Read More »
Small Estate Affidavit: How To Probate A Small Estate Without A Will
Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things we go through in our lives but losing a loved one who didn’t make the proper preparations before they passed can make the grieving process significantly more difficult. When a person passes away without a valid will this is called “intestate,” and the law… Read More »
Texas Drone Law Comes Under Media Scrutiny
In 2017, the Texas legislature enacted new law regulating where you can fly a drone, or as Texas law refers to them, “unmanned aircraft”. Texas legal restrictions on the operation of drones are set out in Chapter 423 of the Texas Government Code. The newest provisions of the drone law went into effect September… Read More »
Dead Law: How Void, Repealed or Superseded Laws Can Rise Again
Well, it’s Halloween again, and I usually like to get into the spirit of the season—pun intended—by writing a blog on an eerie topic. This year, I’m channeling something from beyond the grave. It’s faint but getting stronger. Yes, I can sense it clearly now. It’s…it’s…dead law! Okay, so it’s not the spirit of… Read More »
Title Commitment in Texas Real Estate Transactions
The title commitment is a crucial document in most Texas real estate transactions, but many property buyers, especially residential home buyers, may not fully understand what it does or why it is so important. Title insurance is not required to close a real estate deal, but to make an analogy that many Texans will… Read More »