Tex. Transp. Code § 22.901 · Subchapter Z. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
DISPOSAL OF ABANDONED AIRCRAFT.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) A local government that is unable to determine the ownership of an aircraft that has been located for more than 90 days at an airport owned by the local government may petition a district court for the county in which the aircraft is located to determine the ownership of the aircraft if:
(1) the local government has provided notice in the same manner as provided by Section 683.012 for notice of an abandoned motor vehicle; and
(2) the local government has contacted the Federal Aviation Administration in an attempt to identify the owner of the aircraft.
(b) On filing of a petition under Subsection (a), the court shall hold a hearing to determine the ownership status of the aircraft. The local government shall present the court with all evidence the local government has in its possession about the ownership of the aircraft. If the evidence is sufficient to determine ownership of the aircraft, the court shall notify the owner of the aircraft.
(c) If the court is unable to make a determination under Subsection (b), the court shall require the local government to collect additional evidence about ownership or to provide notice in the manner that is most likely to reach the owner of the aircraft. Unless evidence is discovered that allows the court to determine the owner of the aircraft, the court may not take further action on making a determination of ownership until after the 60th day after the date of the hearing under Subsection (b).
(d) If the court cannot make a determination on the ownership of the aircraft after requiring the local government to take additional steps under Subsection (c), the court shall declare the aircraft as abandoned property, and the court shall give title to the aircraft to the local government. The local government shall dispose of the aircraft in the same manner the local government disposes of salvage or surplus property.
(e) If an owner of an aircraft fails to claim the aircraft within 60 days after the date notice is given under Subsection (b), the local government may petition the district court to declare the aircraft abandoned property under Subsection (d).
(f) A determination of ownership made by the court under this section does not affect the right of the local government to recover fees against the owner of the aircraft for storage or maintenance of the aircraft.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 432, Sec. 1, eff. May 29, 1997.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.22.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 9a1de3c7340a4ad7023539b0b4e146da281ff36fd928261250c8c278a1306b31
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Cited by 1 provision
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Transp. Code § 22.901. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.