General Information

About this Guide

This guide was created to help readers learn about the legalities of neighborhood life by providing information on common types of neighbor disagreements. This page will provide you with some general information on land ownership, while the subsequent pages dive into more specific subjects such as fences, trees and easements.

General Information

Owning Your Piece of Texas: Key Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know [PDF]
A publication from the Texas A&M Agri-Life Extension that discusses various aspects of land ownership with a slight focus on agricultural land. Topics include fence law, mineral and water rights & access to property.

E-books at the Texas State Law Library

You can borrow the e-books below with your library account. Don't have a library account? Texas residents can register for a library account online! Learn more about how to register online .

Neighbor law : fences, trees, boundaries & noise [electronic resource]
This e-book provides information about your legal rights and responsibilities as a neighbor.
Everybody's guide to small claims court [electronic resource]
"This book from Nolo is updated to include the latest procedures for small claims courts in every state. It shows readers how to write a demand letter, file and serve papers, prepare and present a case, prepare evidence, and mediate an out-of-court settlement.
Know your rights! : answers to Texans' everyday legal questions [electronic resource]
Practical, easy-to-understand answers to questions about divorce, child support, and child custody; credit, bankruptcy, and debt collection; starting a business; leases and tenant rights; small claims court and lawyers; wills and probate; false advertising and warranties; immigration; and more. Chapter 15 of this book discusses neighborly problems.

Other Guides from the State Law Library

Below are links to other related research guides you may want to check out for additional information.

Abandoned Property
Topics include abandoned vehicles & homes, adverse possession and trespassing.
Animal Law
Topics include animal control, pets, service animals and hunting & fishing.
Flying the Flag
Etiquette and protocol for flying the United States and Texas flags
Landlord/Tenant Law
Renter's rights, lockouts and evictions and more on the landlord/tenant relationship.
Property Owners' Associations
Topics include restrictive covenants (CC&Rs), meetings, voting, foreclosures and more.
Recording Laws
Topics include video surveillance, security cameras and drones.
Small Claims Cases
Neighborly disputes are often settled in these types of cases. Learn more about filing a small claims case in Texas justice of the peace courts.

Neighbor Law

General Information

About this Guide