State Rep. Victoria Neave has found herself in hot water with Dallas County and is being sued for more than $26,000 in late property taxes on her Abrams Road home.
Documents filed Tuesday reveal that Neave is arrears to the tune of $26,760.73, and is listed in the suit along with her former law partner and ex-fiance, Mark Scott Jr.
Neave represents District 107, which includes parts of East Dallas and Mesquite.
The Texas Monitor first reported the suit, pointing out that the address does not show their names on Dallas Central Appraisal District records because “Scott is a former assistant County prosecutor.” The two likely took advantage of a provision that shields prosecutors and elected officials from being named on publically accessible property records for security reasons.
However, the lawsuit made the address public. Neave declined an interview request, the Texas Monitor article said, but said via email, “Despite my best efforts to make payments, I take full responsibility for being in arrears. I am expediting the process to put the house back on the market and am working on settling the past due balance as soon as possible.”
But the situation got murkier when Scott was contacted. He reportedly denied owning the property.
“No, I sold that home in 2015; this is news to me,” Scott told the Monitor. “I take care of business. I moved on, have another house, and am not aware of this [lawsuit].”
County property tax records show the last change of deed was recorded in 2011, when Neave and Scott purchased the home.
The website for the law firm the two formed in 2014 is offline, and a more recent website is also not functional. Scott served as Neave’s campaign treasurer for the first year of her first campaign for Texas House, but was replaced in July 2016.
A campaign disclosure from last year indicates that she still co-owns the home with Scott. It’s not clear who lives in the home since her driver’s license indicated she lived at the White Rock Apartment Villas when she was arrested for driving while intoxicated in 2017, and prior to that she said she had moved out after she split with Scott and they were putting the home on the market.
According to MLS records, the home was listed for $1,495,000 in 2015, with Lydia Kennemore of Central Metro Realty. At the time of the listing, the Dallas Central Appraisal District had the home valued at $660,000. They then lowered the price to $899,000. The listing expired November 11, 2016.
She then listed the home again, this time for $750,000, with Jan Stell of Ebby Halliday Realty, in May 2017, and that listing expired on Sept. 30, 2017. Comps in the area are closer to the $750,000 to $830,000 range.
Photos from the home are still available on several real estate sites, including Realtor.com, where we found a previous listing:
“Come home to a vacation home with palms trees. Step inside and see grand marble entry with sweeping staircase, columns and chandelier. Grand kitchen where the whole party can gather with the chef! Large island with 5 burner gas cooktop. Kitchen open to den with full wet bar. This home has a master down and could also have a second one upstairs. Huge gameroom or man cave behind the utility room. It has its own full kitchen with freestanding gas over and range. Come see it to believe. Master is on the back and has sitting area, marble mantel on fireplace with huge master bath. Bath has huge jetted tub, shower with glass door. Huge Texas sized closet with additional storage. Other bedrooms up as well as office.”
According to state financial documents, Neave’s current steady source of income is her law firm and her state legislative salary. State legislators make $600 per month, plus a per diem of $190 every day the legislature is in session. That equates to $33,800 per year when the lege is in session.
Neave’s documentation also indicates the home is her only investment, and her debt load is less than $110,000.
Dallas County property taxes are due January 31 each year. If not paid, the county can assess late fees and file suit against the property owner, who must then pay up or have the home go to auction.
Bethany Erickson contributed to this report.
