Sec. 315.006. LIABILITY FOR ADVERSELY AFFECTING HISTORIC STRUCTURE OR PROPERTY. (a) In this section, "historic structure or property" means a historic structure as defined by Section 442.001, Government Code, or a structure or property that is designated as historic by a political subdivision of the state, the state, or the federal government.

(b) A person is liable to a municipality for damages if the municipality has a demolition permit and a building permit procedure and the person:

(1) demolishes, causes to be demolished, or otherwise adversely affects the structural, physical, or visual integrity of a historic structure or property that is located in the municipality; and

(2) does not obtain the appropriate demolition or building permit or other form of written permission from the municipality before beginning to demolish, cause the demolition of, or otherwise adversely affect the structural, physical, or visual integrity of the structure or property.

(c) If the structural, physical, or visual integrity of the structure or property is adversely affected to the extent that it is not feasible to restore the structural, physical, or visual integrity substantially to its former level, the damages are equal to the cost of constructing, using as many of the original materials as possible, a new structure or property that is a reasonable facsimile of the historic structure or property and the cost of attorney's, architect's, and appraiser's fees and other costs related to the enforcement of this section. If it is feasible to restore the structural, physical, or visual integrity of the structure or property substantially to its former level, the damages are equal to the cost of the restoration, using as many of the original materials as possible, and the cost of attorney's, architect's, and appraiser's fees and other costs related to the enforcement of this section.

(d) Instead of accepting monetary damages, the municipality may permit the liable person to construct, using as many of the original materials as possible, a structure or property that is a reasonable facsimile of the demolished historic structure or property or to restore, using as many of the original materials as possible, the historic structure or property and to pay the cost of attorney's, architect's, and appraiser's fees and other costs related to the enforcement of this section.

(e) Damages recovered under this section shall be deposited in a special fund in the municipal treasury and may be used only to construct, using as many of the original materials as possible, a structure or property that is a reasonable facsimile of the demolished historic structure or property, to restore, using as many of the original materials as possible, the historic structure or property, or to restore another historic structure or property, as determined by the municipality.

(f) The construction of a facsimile structure or property under Subsection (d) or (e) must be undertaken at the location designated by the municipality, which may be the same location as that of the demolished historic structure or property.

(g) The municipality may make contracts and adopt ordinances as necessary to carry out this section.

(h) Each municipality shall file in the real property records of the county clerk's office of each county in which the municipality is located a verified written instrument listing each historic structure or property that is located in the municipality and county and is designated as historic by a political subdivision of the state by:

(1) the street address, if available in the municipal files;

(2) the legal description of the real property on which the structure or property is located; and

(3) the name of the owner of the real property, if the name is available in the municipal files.

(i) Subsections (a) through (g) of this section apply only to a historic structure or property on or after the date the instrument has been filed under Subsection (h) and indexed.

(j) A person is liable to the Texas Historical Commission for damages if:

(1) the person:

(A) demolishes, causes to be demolished, or otherwise adversely affects the structural, physical, or visual integrity of a historic structure or property that is located in the municipality; and

(B) does not obtain the appropriate demolition or building permit or other form of written permission from the municipality before beginning to demolish, cause the demolition of, or otherwise adversely affect the structural, physical, or visual integrity of the structure or property; and

(2) the commission determines that the municipality has not filed a civil action under Subsection (b) and has not taken appropriate action to carry out Subsection (d) before the 90th day after the date the action described by Subdivision (1)(A) occurs.

(k) If the Texas Historical Commission makes a determination under Subsection (j)(2), the commission may enforce this section, and the municipality may not act under this section. Damages recovered under this subsection shall be deposited in the Texas preservation trust fund account.

Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 594, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1991. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 109, Sec. 22, eff. Aug. 30, 1995.