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Senate committee hears emotional testimony on deed fraud bill that would create new crimes and civil remedies
Summary
Sen. West’s SB 26 11 would create dedicated criminal offenses for real property theft and fraud, add civil tools to clear title and increase statutes of limitation; a panel of victims and prosecutors urged support, while committee left the bill pending for a committee substitute.
Sen. Royce West laid out Senate Bill 26 11 on May 20, proposing new criminal classifications and civil remedies for what he described as a rising wave of deed fraud and real-property theft in Texas.
Why it matters: Witnesses described long-running, often organized schemes that transferred deeds for houses, churches and vacant lots through forged documents, hitting elderly and minority owners and draining generational wealth. The bill would create distinct offenses for theft of real property and real property fraud (proposed moved to new code sections referenced by the sponsor), extend the statute of limitations, require civil-judgment procedures to be filed in real-property records, and make restitution and title restoration tools available to victims.
What the bill would do: West…
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