Sec. 31.02. DELINQUENCY DATE. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section and by Sections 31.03 and 31.04 of this code, taxes are due on receipt of the tax bill and are delinquent if not paid before February 1 of the year following the year in which imposed.

(b) An eligible person serving on active duty in any branch of the United States armed forces may pay delinquent property taxes on property in which the person owns any interest without penalty or interest no later than the 60th day after the date on which the earliest of the following occurs:

(1) the person is discharged from active military service;

(2) the person returns to the state for more than 10 days; or

(3) the person returns to non-active duty status in the reserves.

(c) "Eligible person" means a person on active military duty in this state who was transferred out of this state or a person in the reserve forces who was placed on active military duty and transferred out of this state.

(d) A person eligible under Subsection (b) or any co-owner of property that is owned by an eligible person may notify the county tax assessor or collector or central appraisal district for the county in which the property is located of the person's eligibility for exemption under Subsection (b). The county tax assessor or collector or central appraisal district shall provide the forms necessary for those individuals giving notice under this subsection. If the notice is timely given, a taxing unit in the county may not bring suit for delinquent taxes for the tax year in which the notice is given. Failure to file a notice does not affect eligibility for the waiver of penalties and interest.

(e) On verification that notice was properly filed under Subsection (d), a suit for delinquent taxes must be abated without cost to the defendant. The exemptions provided for under this section shall immediately stop all actions against eligible persons until the person's eligibility expires as provided in Subsection (b).

(f) This section applies only to property in which the person eligible for the exemption owned an interest on the date the person was transferred out of this state as described by Subsection (c) or in which the person acquired the interest by gift, devise, or inheritance after that date.

(g) For the purposes of this section, a person is considered to be on active military duty if the person is covered by the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 (50 App. U.S.C. Section 501 et seq.) or the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (38 U.S.C. Section 4301 et seq.), as amended.

(h) Repealed by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 129, Sec. 2.

Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2285, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 381, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 26, 1991; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 129, Sec. 1, 2, eff. May 27, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 465 (S.B. 1), Sec. 9, eff. June 15, 2015.

Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 788 (H.B. 1883), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.