(a) A person claiming title to land Under §11.084 of the
Natural Resources Code may apply for a patent by filing with the commissioner:
(1) an application on the form prescribed by the commissioner;
(2) a notarized affidavit on the form prescribed by the Commissioner,
which among other things, requires that the claimant swear that the claimant
and, to the best of claimant's knowledge and belief, claimant's predecessors
in interest, acquired the land without actual knowledge that title to the
land was vested in the state of Texas; and
(3) an attachment to the application which contains documents
necessary to support the claim.
(b) The attachment to the application shall include:
(1) a certified copy of the claimant's deed, or deed of claimant's
predecessors in interest, recorded in the appropriate county or counties;
(2) a certified copy of the claimant's chain of title that
originated on or before January 1, 1952;
(3) a copy of any boundary survey or plat of survey, in the
applicant's possession, which covers any of the deeded tract;
(4) a sworn certificate from the tax assessors-collectors of
the taxing jurisdictions in which the claimed tract is located stating that
all taxes assessed on the claimed tract or tracts and any interest and penalties
associated with any periods of tax delinquency have been paid In the event
that public records concerning the tax payments on the claimed tract or tracts
are unavailable for any period the tax assessors-collectors of the taxing
jurisdictions in which the claimed tract is located shall provide the School
Land Board with a sworn certificate stating that, to the best of their knowledge:
(A) all taxes have been paid; and
(B) there are no outstanding taxes nor interest or penalties
currently due against the claimed tract or tracts; and
(5) such other documentation as the applicant deems necessary
or assistive in explaining the deed or chain of title.
(c) A $25 non-refundable application fee and the appropriate
filing fee for each document filed with the application shall be paid with
the filing of the application.
(d) The person filing the application for consideration by
the School Land Board shall be solely responsible for the completeness of
the application.
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