VIDEO: A vacant Corpus Christi property with reported squatting activity went up in flames Sunday, renewing concerns about illegal occupancy — and what neighbors can do when they spot it. Corpus Christi firefighters quickly knocked down a blaze at a home on Chestnut Street near Gollihar and Carroll lanes.
No injuries were reported, but the incident has drawn attention after a neighbor’s security camera appeared to capture someone entering the property multiple times in the days leading up to the fire.
Experts say that kind of activity is enough to warrant contacting law enforcement. “There’s no reason to sit back. Let someone know,” said Arnold Gonzales Jr., a local landlord-tenant attorney.
Gonzales says situations like this are often tied to abandoned or mismanaged properties — but two new Texas laws could make dealing with squatters faster and more straightforward.
Under Senate Bill 1333, law enforcement can now remove unauthorized occupants from a property without going through the traditional eviction process, as long as proper notice to vacate is given.
KIII-TV ABC 3 Corpus Christi