A Harris County woman has been ordered evicted nine times since 2022, with every case landing in the same ZIP code and the same constable precinct. Now Carmen Mata has until August 24 to leave a property where constable deputies could remove her, her children and their belongings if she does not go voluntarily.
Court records cited by FOX 26 Houston show the latest case was brought by property owners Miguel and Alejandra Mileo. Miguel Mileo called Mata “a serial squatter” and said he and other landlords reported hearing the same explanation from her after she moved into their properties.
Through a translator, Mata told the judge she does not speak English and said she paid a $500 deposit and first month’s rent to someone posing as a realtor. She said she was the victim of a scam, while the Mileos questioned how the same situation could have happened repeatedly.
Judge Gives Mata Until August 24 To Leave
The judge ordered Mata to vacate the Mileo property by August 24, according to FOX 26 Houston. If she remains after that deadline, the constable’s office may carry out the possession order, a process that could involve removing the occupants and securing the property for its owners.
That does not mean a landlord can simply change the locks or put someone’s belongings on the curb after winning in court. Under the Texas Property Code, a landlord who prevails in an eviction suit is entitled to a judgment for possession and a writ of possession, with statutory timing rules governing when the writ can be issued and served.
Case Lands Amid Texas Eviction Law Overhaul
The dispute also arrives months after Texas overhauled its eviction laws. The Texas Governor’s Office said Senate Bill 38 streamlines eviction proceedings, while Senate Bill 1333 gives sheriffs and constables faster tools to address people who unlawfully occupy private property.
Those measures took effect January 1, 2026, and supporters say they were designed to close loopholes used by squatters. Housing advocates, however, have warned that faster timelines and relaxed notice rules could also put legitimate renters at risk, as KPRC 2 reported when the law took effect.
