Tierras Texanas / Glossary

Glossary: the words of Texas land

The words you'll hear at the county office, the title company or a lawyer's office, in plain English, with the Spanish terms families use.

Administrator (Spanish: Administrador)

Person appointed by the court to manage the estate when there's no will or executor.

Affidavit of heirship (Spanish: Declaración jurada de herederos)

Sworn document, signed before a notary by someone who knows the family (the statute requires one affiant; many title companies also ask for two witnesses), describing the deceased's family to show who the heirs are. It is recorded in the county.

Agricultural valuation (1-d-1) (Spanish: Valuación agrícola)

Way of taxing rural land by its agricultural use instead of market value; commonly called the ag exemption.

Appraisal district (Spanish: Distrito de tasación)

County office that sets property values for taxes and receives exemption applications.

Appraised value (Spanish: Valor tasado)

The value the appraisal district assigns your property each year.

Attorney (Spanish: Abogado)

Person licensed to practice law; in Texas you can check at texasbar.com.

Chain of title (Spanish: Cadena de títulos)

The history of every owner of a piece of land, deed by deed, in the county records.

Closing (Spanish: Cierre)

The day papers are signed, money changes hands and ownership transfers.

Co-owner (tenant in common) (Spanish: Copropietario)

Person who owns a share of land together with others.

Colonia (Spanish: Colonia)

Community, often near the border, developed with lots sold without basic services like water or sewer.

Community property (Spanish: Bienes gananciales)

In Texas, property acquired during marriage generally belongs to both spouses, with exceptions.

Contract for deed (Spanish: Contrato por escritura)

Purchase in installments directly from the seller, who keeps the deed until you finish paying. Texas has special rules to protect buyers.

County clerk (Spanish: Secretario del condado)

Official who records deeds and other property documents in each Texas county.

County real property records (Spanish: Registro del condado)

Public archive at the county clerk where deeds, liens and other land documents are recorded.

Deed (Spanish: Escritura)

Signed document that transfers ownership of land from one person to another. In Texas it is recorded with the county clerk.

Deed of trust (Spanish: Escritura de fideicomiso)

Document used in Texas to secure a mortgage; it lets the lender foreclose if the loan isn't paid.

Deed restrictions (Spanish: Restricciones)

Recorded rules limiting what you can do with land, such as home type or whether mobile homes are allowed.

Delinquent taxes (Spanish: Impuestos atrasados)

Property taxes not paid on time; they add penalties and interest and can lead to a lawsuit and sale.

Earnest money (Spanish: Depósito de seriedad)

Money the buyer deposits when signing the contract to show good faith, usually credited to the price at closing.

Easement (Spanish: Servidumbre)

Someone else's right to use part of your land for a specific purpose, like a road or power line.

Ejido (Spanish: Ejido)

In Mexico, communal land governed by the Agrarian Law. It doesn't exist in Texas, where private land is held outright.

Escrow (Spanish: Depósito en garantía)

Money or documents held by a neutral third party (such as a title company) until the sale's conditions are met.

Estate (Spanish: Herencia o patrimonio)

Everything a person left at death: property, money and debts.

Executor (Spanish: Albacea)

Person named in a will to manage and distribute the property.

Exemption (Spanish: Exención)

Part of your property's value that isn't taxed, such as the homestead exemption.

FIRPTA (Spanish: FIRPTA)

Federal law requiring part of the price to be withheld when a nonresident foreigner sells, as a tax prepayment.

Floodplain (Spanish: Zona de inundación)

Area at flood risk on FEMA maps; affects insurance and what can be built.

Foreclosure (Spanish: Ejecución hipotecaria)

Process of selling a property when the debt it secures isn't paid.

Heir (Spanish: Heredero)

Person who receives property from someone who died, by will or by law.

Heirs' property (Spanish: Propiedad heredada)

Land still in a deceased person's name that now belongs in shares to the heirs, without updated title.

Homestead (Spanish: Homestead)

Your main home. In Texas it has special protection and a tax exemption.

Intestate (Spanish: Sin testamento)

When someone dies without a will; Texas law decides who the heirs are.

ITIN (Spanish: ITIN)

IRS tax ID number for people who pay taxes and don't have a Social Security number.

Lien (Spanish: Gravamen)

A creditor's claim on land to secure a debt, such as a mortgage, unpaid taxes or a judgment.

Market value (Spanish: Valor de mercado)

The price a buyer would likely pay today in a normal sale.

Mineral rights (Spanish: Derechos minerales)

Rights to oil, gas and other minerals under the land. In Texas they can belong to someone other than the surface owner.

Mortgage (Spanish: Hipoteca)

Loan to buy property in which the property secures the loan.

Muniment of title (Spanish: Testamento como título)

Texas procedure in which the court admits a will as proof of new ownership without a full administration.

Notario público (Mexico) (Spanish: Notario público (México))

In Mexico, a state-appointed lawyer who formalizes deeds. A different role from a Texas notary.

Notary public (Texas) (Spanish: Notario público (Texas))

In Texas, a person who verifies identity and witnesses signatures. Not a lawyer; can't give legal advice.

Owner financing (Spanish: Financiamiento del dueño)

When the seller lends you the money to buy. It can be done with a deed up front or with a contract for deed.

Partition (Spanish: Partición)

Process to divide land among co-owners, or sell it and split the money, when they can't agree.

Plat (Spanish: Plano de subdivisión)

Official recorded map showing how land is divided into lots.

Power of attorney (Spanish: Poder notarial)

Document authorizing another person to act for you, for example to sign at a closing.

Predial (Mexico) (Spanish: Predial)

Municipal property tax in Mexico; the Texas equivalent is property taxes, which are much higher.

Probate (Spanish: Sucesión)

Court process to validate a will or distribute a deceased person's property.

Property taxes (Spanish: Impuestos de la propiedad)

Annual tax on the value of your land or home. Texas has no state income tax, but property taxes are high.

Quitclaim deed (Spanish: Escritura de renuncia)

Deed that gives up whatever interest a person may have in land, with no guarantees.

Right of redemption (Spanish: Derecho de redención)

Period set by law to recover a property sold at a tax sale by paying the amount the law requires.

Royalties (Spanish: Regalías)

Payments the mineral owner receives when oil or gas is produced.

Separate property (Spanish: Bienes propios)

What a spouse owned before marriage or received by inheritance or gift.

Small estate affidavit (Spanish: Declaración jurada de patrimonio pequeño)

Simplified court filing for small estates without a will, within limits set by law.

Special warranty deed (Spanish: Escritura con garantía especial)

Deed in which the seller only guarantees against title problems that arose while the seller owned the property.

Survey (Spanish: Agrimensura)

Professional measurement that marks a property's exact boundaries and what's on it.

Tax assessor-collector (Spanish: Oficina de impuestos)

County office that collects property taxes.

Tax sale (Spanish: Subasta por impuestos)

Public sale of a property to collect delinquent taxes.

Title (to real property) (Spanish: Título de propiedad)

The legal right to own land. It isn't one paper: it's shown by the chain of recorded deeds. Not the same as a car title.

Title commitment (Spanish: Compromiso de título)

The title company's preliminary report listing what must be fixed before closing and what the policy will cover.

Title company (Spanish: Compañía de títulos)

Company that searches title, runs the closing, holds escrow funds and issues title insurance. It is not a notary.

Title insurance (Spanish: Seguro de título)

Policy that protects the buyer (and lender) if a title problem appears later. In Texas, rates are set by the Department of Insurance.

Transfer on death deed (Spanish: Escritura de transferencia por muerte)

Deed you sign and record during life so the land passes to whom you name at death, without probate.

Warranty deed (Spanish: Escritura con garantía)

Deed in which the seller guarantees clear title and promises to defend it against claims.

Will (Spanish: Testamento)

Document stating who receives a person's property when they die.