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Supreme Court of Texas, Defendant/Tenant’s Answer in an Eviction Case (2024-12-12)

Citation
Supreme Court of Texas, Defendant/Tenant’s Answer in an Eviction Case (2024-12-12)
Jurisdiction
Texas (state)
Source
Official source

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Top Part of the Form/Heading: This information should be at the top of the documents you
have received from the court about your eviction case.
x Case Number –If you cannot find the Case Number, you can ask the clerk’s office to
give you that number.
x Name of Plaintiff/Landlord – Write the landlord’s name.
x Name of Defendant(s)/Tenant(s) – Write your name.
x Type of Court and Precinct/Place Number –Check the appropriate box. This is where
the case was filed. If you do not know, ask the court clerk or check the court’s
website.
x County, Texas – Write in the name of the court’s county.
1. Name – Write your name.
This section states “I generally deny the claims that Plaintiff/Landlord has made”. You
can file an answer that denies the landlord’s claims without listing any reasons. If you
don’t list any reasons, you can still tell the judge at your trial why you should not be
evicted. Rule 502.5(b).
2. Specific reasons, I should not be evicted– You are not required to check any boxes.
Here, you can give the judge specific reasons why you should not be evicted. If you
check specific reasons, you will need to testify under oath and bring any documents,
witnesses, or other evidence with you to your trial. Specific reasons why you should not
be evicted could include:
a. The landlord did not do something correctly:
i. Notice to vacate: The landlord did not give you a proper Notice to Vacate
before filing the eviction. For information on what a notice must contain and
how it must be delivered, see the FAQs and Instructions for Notice to Vacate
Prior to Filing Eviction Suit.
Examples include: the landlord did not give you notice at all, the notice gave
you less time than it should have, the notice was given to you improperly, or