AUSTIN, Texas — In an order issued on June 11 by Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe, property owners in the county are prohibited from evicting or issuing notices to vacate until July 25 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The order issued by Biscoe extends former county judge Sarah Eckhardt's order, which states it is prohibited for property owners to evict tenants unless:
- Tenant poses an imminent threat of physical harm to the property owner, employees or other tenants
- Tenant engages in criminal activity
"It's another way to make sure that during our stay home, work safe, that people have a home to stay in," Eckhardt told KVUE last month.
Biscoe and Eckhardt's order also prohibits "the removal of property or exclusion of a tenant by a property owner in the manners described in the applicable sections of the Texas Property Code" and "the seizure of a tenant's nonexempt property subject to a lien created under Texas Property Code Section 54 041."
A violation of this order will result in a fine punishable up to $1,000 and/or 180 days in jail. The Travis County Sheriff's Office and Travis County Fire Marshal's Office will have to enforce the order as well, according to Biscoe and Eckhardt.
According to the order, the evictions and or removal of property could contribute to additional person-to-person contact.
This comes after Austin Mayor Steve Adler said on June 11 the stay-home order would likely be extended as cases spike in Travis County.
The City of Austin in March also announced it would be halting evictions. For that story, click here.
You can read the order here.
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