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AN ACT
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relating to the authority granted to certain property owners'  | 
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associations in dedicatory instruments and restrictive covenants. | 
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       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
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       SECTION 1.  Chapter 209, Property Code, is amended by adding  | 
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Section 209.012 to read as follows: | 
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       Sec. 209.012.  RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS GRANTING EASEMENTS TO  | 
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CERTAIN PROPERTY OWNERS' ASSOCIATIONS.  (a)  A property owners'  | 
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association may not amend a dedicatory instrument to grant the  | 
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property owners' association an easement through or over an owner's  | 
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lot without the consent of the owner. | 
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       (b)  This section does not prohibit a property owners'  | 
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association from adopting or enforcing a restriction in a  | 
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dedicatory instrument that allows the property owners' association  | 
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to access an owner's lot to remedy a violation of the dedicatory  | 
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instrument. | 
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       SECTION 2.  (a) Chapter 209, Property Code, is amended by  | 
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adding Section 209.013 to read as follows: | 
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       Sec. 209.013.  AUTHORITY OF ASSOCIATION TO AMEND DEDICATORY  | 
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INSTRUMENT.  (a)  A dedicatory instrument created by a developer of  | 
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a residential subdivision or by a property owners' association in  | 
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which the developer has a majority of the voting rights or that the  | 
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developer otherwise controls under the terms of the dedicatory  | 
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instrument may not be amended during the period between the time the  | 
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developer loses the majority of the voting rights or other form of  | 
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control of the property owners' association and the time a new board  | 
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of directors of the association assumes office following the loss  | 
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of the majority of the voting rights or other form of control. | 
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       (b)  A provision in a dedicatory instrument that violates  | 
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this section is void and unenforceable. | 
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       (b)  Except as specifically provided by a dedicatory  | 
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instrument in a provision that existed before the effective date of  | 
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this Act, the change in law made by this section applies to a  | 
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dedicatory instrument created before, on, or after the effective  | 
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date of this Act. | 
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       SECTION 3.  Section 209.012, Property Code, as added by this  | 
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Act, applies only to an easement granted by a dedicatory instrument  | 
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on or after the effective date of this Act.  An easement granted by a  | 
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dedicatory instrument before the effective date of this Act is  | 
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governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date  | 
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of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that  | 
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purpose. | 
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       SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. | 
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______________________________ | 
______________________________ | 
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   President of the Senate | 
Speaker of the House      | 
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       I certify that H.B. No. 2402 was passed by the House on May  | 
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10, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 137, Nays 1, 1 present, not  | 
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voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.  | 
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No. 2402 on May 25, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 134, Nays 0,  | 
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1 present, not voting. | 
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______________________________ | 
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Chief Clerk of the House    | 
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       I certify that H.B. No. 2402 was passed by the Senate, with  | 
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amendments, on May 23, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays  | 
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0. | 
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______________________________ | 
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Secretary of the Senate    | 
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APPROVED: __________________ | 
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                Date        | 
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         __________________ | 
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              Governor        |