Houston Court Awards $14,770 in Eviction Lawsuit

In Houston, Texas, a landlord, Colquitt LP, LLP, filed an eviction lawsuit against a tenant for unpaid rent at a property located on Colquitt. The landlord alleged the tenant, who had a written lease agreement, failed to pay monthly rent of $2,300 since November 2023. By January 2024, this accumulated to $4,600 in unpaid rent and $520 in late fees. The landlord served a three-day notice to vacate and sought possession of the property, recovery of unpaid rent, attorney's fees, and court costs.

The tenant presented several defenses, stating she had been ill, out of town for work, and experienced difficulty accessing case information. She later claimed she had been in a coma due to a wreck and alleged that the property manager would not return her calls. The tenant also requested rescheduling of the court date.

Despite filing an appeal and a statement regarding inability to afford costs, the tenant failed to appear at a scheduled court hearing on February 20, 2024. The court subsequently entered a default judgment in favor of the landlord, granting possession of the premises and $6,726 in damages. Following the tenant's appeal, the court found on April 9, 2024, that she had failed to timely pay rent deposits into the court registry on multiple occasions, resulting in a further default.

A final judgment was entered on April 30, 2024, awarding Colquitt LP, LLP possession of the property, $11,500 in damages for rent due from December 2023 through April 2024, $3,000 in attorney's fees, $270 in costs, and post-judgment interest. A writ of possession was issued on May 10, 2024.