Financial inability to pay for administrative penalties, costs, and fees; to pay for transcription of a record; or to post an appeal bond.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 10-710
in effectSec. 10-710. - Financial inability to pay for administrative penalties, costs, and fees; to pay for transcription of a record; or to post an appeal bond.
(a) A person found by the hearing officer to be financially unable to pay the administrative penalties, costs, and fees assessed must be:
(1) A resident of the property or premises that is the subject of the administrative order; and
(2) The sole owner of the property or premises, except that the person may be a co-owner of the property or premises if all other co-owners cannot be located or are themselves financially unable to pay the administrative penalties, costs, and fees as established by credible evidence.
(b) A person claiming a financial inability to pay the administrative penalties, costs, and fees assessed by the hearing officer; to pay for a transcription of the record; or to post an appeal bond must make that claim prior to the conclusion of the administrative hearing before the hearing officer.
(c) A person claiming a financial inability to pay the administrative penalties, costs, and fees; to pay for a transcription of the record; or to post an appeal bond must have an income that does not exceed 50 percent of the Houston Area Median Family Income as determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
(d) After receiving a claim that a person found liable for violation under this article is financially unable to pay the administrative penalties, costs, and fees; to pay for a transcription of the record; or to post an appeal bond, the hearing officer may set the matter for hearing and notify all parties of the hearing date by regular United States mail. The hearing officer's determination of whether the person found liable for a violation is financially unable to pay any administrative penalties, costs, or fees assessed by the hearing officer; to pay for a transcript of the record; or to post an appeal bond must be based on all information provided to the hearing officer by the person found liable or by the city attorney in opposition to the claim of financial inability.
(e) If the hearing officer determines that the person found liable for a violation does not have the financial ability to pay the administrative penalties, costs, or fees assessed by the hearing officer; to pay for a transcription of the record; or to post an appeal bond, then the hearing officer shall enter that finding in writing and may order that the penalties, costs, and fees be waived by the city.
(Ord. No. 2010-815, § 2, 10-13-2010)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH10BUNEPR_ARTXVIIIALADADPR_S10-710FIINPAADPECOFEPATRREPOAPBOFetched: 10/26/2026