Between Harris County and Galveston County, the Houston area has seen the second-highest total number of evictions filed nationwide. Houston litigation partner Chevazz Brown, who frequently represents commercial and residential real estate owners, developers, and property managers through the eviction process, shared legal insights on the eviction process. While appealing an eviction judgment in favor of the landlord due to a tenant’s failure to pay rent, a tenant must continue to pay rent into the court’s registry, Chevazz noted.

“It’s true that they would have to post bond and continue to pay rent into the court’s registry — unless they file what’s called a pauper’s affidavit, which tells the court that they are unable to pay the fee to appeal,” he said. “Now, they would continue to have to pay rent into the court’s registry.”

He noted that the eviction process to work through the courts takes time and that the number of evictions in the Houston region will continue to rise.

Chevazz added, “What I am seeing is a realization, both from landlords and tenants on the commercial side, that the impact of COVID-19 on our economy and on our business is not temporary. This is our new normal. It’s not something that’s going to be resolved in the next month or two.”

Meet Chevazz

Chevazz G. Brown is a Houston dispute resolution lawyer, also known as a litigator or trial attorney, with experience resolving a broad range of business and commercial disputes. Before joining Jackson Walker, Chevazz had the distinct honor of serving as law clerk to the Honorable Kenneth M. Hoyt of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, where he gained intimate knowledge of court procedure and valuable intangibles.