A Southwest Houston massage business that police have raided three times over the past two years is still open for business, even after Harris County's top civil lawyer asked a judge to shut it down. QQ Spa, located on Ashcroft Drive near Bellaire Boulevard and Hillcroft Avenue, was hit with a civil lawsuit from the Harris County Attorney's Office, but a judge stopped short of ordering an immediate closure Tuesday, instead giving the business just two days to come into compliance with state and local licensing rules.
According to the lawsuit, the Houston Police Department raided QQ Spa in February 2025, again in March 2025, and most recently in September 2026, with officers arresting people on prostitution charges during those operations, as reported by ABC13 Houston. The lawsuit also alleges that police found the spa had no certificate of occupancy and that some of its workers lacked the masseuse licenses required under state law. Despite the repeated raids, the station notes the business remained open as of this week.
A civil court judge granted the county attorney's office a temporary restraining order this week but did not immediately close the spa, instead ordering it to comply with all licensing requirements within two days. The same report notes that QQ Spa now faces closure if it fails to meet that deadline, and that constables could be sent in to shutter the business if the owner does not comply.
Why County Attorneys Turn to Civil Court Instead of Just Arrests
The legal tool behind the county's move is Texas's common nuisance statute. Under Section 125.0015 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, operating a location where massage services are provided in violation of state licensing rules, or where prostitution occurs, can legally be declared a common nuisance. That designation lets county attorneys petition civil judges for injunctions.
The stakes for QQ Spa's owner are steep if the business still isn't in compliance after the court's two-day window. Per guidance from the Office of the Texas Attorney General, a court that finds a business maintains a common nuisance can require the owner to post a $10,000 bond or order the property closed for up to a full year if it fails to follow court orders.
Separately, both individual massage therapists and the establishments that employ them are required to hold valid state licenses to legally perform or advertise massage services for pay, under Chapter 455 of the Texas Occupations Code, which the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation administers. Harris County also holds its own enforcement powers under Sections 234.104 and 234.105 of the Texas Local Government Code, which the Harris County Attorney's Office notes allows the county to levy civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation and pursue Class A misdemeanor charges against unauthorized massage parlor operators.
A District Representative's Warning to Operators
Abbie Kamin, who represented Houston City Council District C before stepping down earlier this year to run for Harris County Attorney, commented on the case. She said the county attorney's office will use the full force of its office against people who take advantage of and abuse women and create public safety risks, and she expressed gratitude for the partnership of law enforcement, according to KHOU-TV.
The approach fits a broader pattern across Houston and Harris County, where officials have leaned on civil nuisance lawsuits as a longer-term fix when police raids alone haven't stopped repeat offenders. The Houston Police Department's Vice Division regularly coordinates with county and city legal departments. The City of Houston also put money behind the strategy in June 2025, when the city council approved a $375,000 budget allocation to add dedicated attorneys to the City Legal Department's Neighborhood Services division specifically to file nuisance actions against human trafficking and illicit massage parlors.
Houston's rules for inspecting these businesses go back further still. In December 2015, the city updated its municipal massage establishment ordinance to let officers inspect any business advertising massage services without first needing proof of licensing, according to the Houston Chronicle.
It remains to be seen whether QQ Spa's owner will secure a certificate of occupancy and the required masseuse licenses within the judge's two-day deadline, or whether constables will move to padlock the property for noncompliance.
