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Court adds new "squatter" fee to sheriff/constable schedule; approves updated fees for 2026
Summary
The Commissioners Court authorized the 2026 fee schedule for the sheriff and constables and added a $250 fee for handling squatters under new state law; the schedule also includes an hourly charge after an initial time window.
Hays County Commissioners on Tuesday approved the county—s 2026 sheriff and constable fee schedule and added a new $250 charge for —squatter— removals under a recent change in Texas law.
The court discussed a legislative change that treats some squatting incidents as writs of possession, requiring law enforcement to execute an immediate removal in some cases. Commissioners agreed to add a $250 base fee for executing a writ of possession related to squatters, with an additional $50 per hour after the first two hours to cover deputy time.
Sheriff—s office and constable representatives described new training and workload implications for deputies and said some cases could require additional staffing. Jordan Powell, an assistant, said deputies had attended legislative updates and that precinct judges discussed the operational impact.
The court voted to add the squatters fee and to adopt the other 2026 sheriff/constable-specific fees as presented. Commissioners said the jury of constables and sheriff leadership will monitor practical costs and return to court if an amendment is needed to meet statutory or budgetary constraints; staff noted the legal principle that fees cannot exceed the actual cost of the service.
The motion passed by roll call; commissioners did not record any abstentions on the fees item.
