Third Annual Deed Restriction Workshop for District F – April 18, 2026
Third Annual Deed Restriction Workshop for District F – April 18, 2026
Houston City Council Member Tiffany D. Thomas hosted the Third Annual Deed Restriction Workshop on April 18, 2026, for residents of District F. The workshop aimed to educate homeowners on deed restrictions, city enforcement, parking, land use, blighted homes, property taxes, and available city resources. Multiple city departments presented, and attendees engaged in an extended Q&A session. No formal votes were taken; the meeting concluded with plans to distribute video and presentation materials.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Joe Walton (Huntington Village board) – Reported that he personally photographs illegal dumpers; Councilwoman Thomas advised caution and urged using 311 instead.
- Attendee from Meadows/Brookfield East Meadows – Claimed inspectors stopped enforcing restrictions due to state laws on home colors. Susie Rice clarified no such state law exists.
- Attendee (no HOA, four-house enclave) – Asked about legal options against a neighbor who built a structure in common area and parked on grass. Susie Rice advised filing a district court lawsuit for breach of deed restrictions with specific injunction deadlines.
- Attendee (dues not raised since 1970s) – Expressed struggle with budget, inability to get two-thirds vote for increase. Susie Rice suggested using Texas Property Code Section 204 to accumulate increases and possibly amending documents.
- Attendee from Sunnyside (no HOA) – Asked if a civic club can create and enforce deed restrictions without an HOA. Susie Rice explained that a civic club set up as a nonprofit with mandatory assessments can qualify under property code.
- Attendee (condominium owner) – Asked why HOA foreclosures take longer than tax foreclosures. Susie Rice explained that taxing entities have priority and use a separate, faster court system.
- Attendee (neighbor built large shed without permit) – Asked about enforcement after city told homeowner to remove it but it remained. Paul Barnes recommended following up with the city and noted the HOA can also send letters.
- Joe Walton – Asked about possibility of state legislation to lower the two-thirds vote requirement for amending old covenants. Susie Rice said it would require support from multiple stakeholders; Councilwoman Thomas encouraged advocacy during the 2027 legislative session.
- Attendee (Tangle Wild, no HOA, voluntary civic club) – Expressed frustration that violations (bed and breakfasts, boarding houses) have been allowed to occur despite efforts to get city help. Paul Barnes acknowledged the challenge and recommended consulting an attorney or legal aid.
- Attendee (rental property, subdivision for boarding house) – Shared success using hotel tax enforcement against a property owner who subdivided and rented rooms. Councilwoman Thomas noted the difference between group homes and boarding homes and urged reporting suspicious addresses.
- Attendee (cars parked in street for months) – Asked whom to contact. Councilwoman Thomas explained that 311 reports go to Park Houston (not HPD), and documented complaints can lead to towing after tire marking.
- Attendee (chickens and non-domesticated animals) – Asked about enforcement. Councilwoman Thomas stated chickens are allowable with specific housing requirements; health department can be called for disease concerns.
- Attendee (rental owner subdividing into boarding house) – Questioned about process. Councilwoman Thomas emphasized the need for reporting to verify licensed group homes.
- Attendee (need for quorum for meetings) – Asked about inability to change restrictions due to low turnout. Susie Rice suggested using proxies and aggressive outreach.
- Attendee (HOA foreclosures) – Asked about protecting HOA interests. Another attendee added that filing liens and checking for power of sale language can expedite foreclosures.
- Attendee (property tax freeze for surviving spouse) – Asked about continuation of exemption after spouse passes. Freddie Gomez explained that a surviving spouse over 55 can continue the over-65 exemption.
- Attendee (junk cars in driveway, working on them) – Asked about enforcement. Arturo Bazan said building code requires a certificate of occupancy for businesses; David Almer noted that visual signage or online advertising can trigger enforcement.
Discussion Items
Presentation by Susie Rice (Texas Property Rights Expert)
- Explained that governing documents (restrictive covenants, bylaws, articles of incorporation) run with the land.
- Differentiated between single-family/townhome laws (Property Code Chapter 209) and condominium laws (Chapters 81, 82).
- Encouraged homeowners to read statutes carefully for applicability.
- Addressed numerous questions on enforcement, special assessments, foreclosures, and amending documents.
Presentation by Paul Barnes (City Legal – Deed Restriction Enforcement)
- Described that deed restrictions are private contracts recorded with the county clerk, not with the city.
- City can enforce only five types: use, setbacks, structure size/lot size/orientation, and fences over permit height (8 ft wood, 4 ft masonry).
- City does not enforce material of fences, paint colors, or commercial vehicle storage unless it violates permitted use.
- Enforcement process: complaint → investigation → warning letters → lawsuit. Relies on complaints from public (not 311; deed restriction hotline provided).
- Warned about waiver if violations are allowed to persist (4-year statute of limitations).
Presentation by Veronica Hernandez (Department of Neighborhoods)
- Outlined divisions: Mayor’s Assistance Office, Gang Prevention, Neighborhood Engagement, New Americans, Veterans, Disabilities, Human Trafficking/Domestic Violence.
- Encouraged participation in Super Neighborhood initiative.
- Noted that code enforcement moved out of the department; now under Public Works.
Presentation by Onica Porter (Housing and Community Development)
- Winter Storm Uri Home Repair Program: Up to $10,000 reimbursement for repairs already done; up to $100,000 for rehabilitation; up to $300,000 for reconstruction if repairs exceed $80,000.
- Homebuyer Assistance Program: Up to $50,000 toward down payment/closing costs for first-time homebuyers (income-eligible, 5-year occupancy requirement).
- Encouraged residents to apply; provided contact information.
Presentation by Mailing Lynn and Freddie Gomez (Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office)
- Explained property tax protest process: electronic filing (iFile and ISETO) recommended; informal and formal hearings.
- Detailed homestead exemption benefits: $140,000 school tax exemption, 10% appraisal cap, over-65 tax ceiling.
- Noted that over-65 exemption and tax deferral can help seniors avoid foreclosure.
- Clarified that city of Houston tax rate is 0.519 per $100 valuation (not 8.25% sales tax).
Presentation by Arturo Bazan and David Almer (Houston Public Works – Code Enforcement)
- Enforce Chapter 10 of city code regarding dangerous buildings, rubbish, high weeds (>9 inches), junk motor vehicles on private property, graffiti.
- Process: complaint → inspection → yellow placard and mailed notice → citation or abatement.
- Noted that Park Houston handles abandoned vehicles on streets; building code enforcement handles open storage and business operation without certificate of occupancy.
- Encouraged residents to keep service request numbers and escalate if unresolved.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes or actions were taken.
- Councilwoman Thomas announced that all presentations and video will be distributed to registered attendees by the following week and aired on HTV Channel 16.
- She reiterated the importance of using 311 for non-deed-restriction issues and the dedicated deed restriction hotline for legal enforcement.
- She encouraged residents to report illegal dumping, homeless encampments, and suspected unlicensed group homes to her office.
- Participants were urged to engage with their state representatives for potential legislative changes to deed restriction amendment thresholds.
- Neighborhoods interested in the pilot program for deed restriction enhancements (without an HOA) were asked to contact the council office.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. Rise and shine. Thank y'all for joining us for the third annual D restriction workshop. I am Tiffany D. Thomas. I'm your Houston City Council member, representing District F on the West Side. That's right. That's right. That's right. Repetition is important. I want to thank you for taking the time to join us for the third annual D restriction. This workshop, this was actually birthed out of a series of emails that we were receiving at the office. And we were noticing trends. Leaders like yourself were emailing, asking us about parking, permitting structures that you may not have been aware if they were even approved. Which alerted me to, you know, as a homeowner myself, hey, we need to offer resource to Houstonians and homeowners, especially so they can understand what the city is obligated to do, what our role is in protecting and preserving your neighborhoods, but then also as a homeowner, the tools that you need to have. And so I'm so grateful that we have amazing partners in the room to do this, uh, work with us. And I also want to thank you for uh joining us. I do before I forget, I want to acknowledge my exceptional team. Can we put your hands together for my staff? Sarai in the back. Jessica greeted you, Monique, who keeps us on TV and information to communities. Chris, who takes all of our photos and photoshops me on the videos. Sarai, who helps you with all of your constituent services. If you have not met her, please meet her. She's your frontline in terms of your constituent services. And I want to uh thank y'all for um putting this together. Um, also just as an aside before I introduce our speaker, uh Suzy Rice. There are two particular issues we are very well aware of uh illegal dumping and the growing homeless encampments on the west side. Um, that is something that we have our pulse on, and but we need your help. And so, with that, those two issues, uh, y'all have been very helpful in helping us identify known encampments on the west side. We started at six, went to eight. Now we have 17 identified. And just yesterday we received an email from the Briar Meadow community about a growing one off of Richmond Hillcroft over in that area. So we're working on that. But this is how we um I need your help. 311 is incredibly important. I know you hear that all the time, but we we need all of that in the system. Call 311. We need the service request number, and we want you to use your wonderful expensive smartphone. Take a photo and send that to the office that allows us to do a couple of things, monitor, um, add that to our conversations with law enforcement and our nonprofit partners who are working with us to canvas those individuals to actually get them the resources that they need so we can start them on a uh different pathway, but we need to know where they're at. Uh, Joe, where did Joe Walton go? There goes Joe. So Joe Walton's on the Huntington Village uh board. I want to say this in the loving way. Don't be like Joe. Joe will walk up on the illegal dumpers and take the photo. And I'm like, Joe, just take the photo from afar. Um, just you know, Joe is our warrior. Um, but we really do need your help in that. Our exceptional hotspot team, they clear that debris within 72 hours.
openpublica.com