Consumer Law Handbook Overview (Houston Bar Association)

The Houston Bar Association's Consumer Law Handbook contains information on resources specific to Harris County, plus information about Texas consumer law.

The handbook is in a question-and-answer format, divided into consumer law topics. All consumer law issues cannot be addressed in one handbook. But it may give you an overview of your rights and remedies.

This handbook is based on Texas law and is meant to inform you, not advise you. Talk to a lawyer about your situation.

To help you navigate the Consumer Law Handbook,TexasLawHelp.org has included its table of contents.

This section informs consumers on dispute resolution strategies including notifying the merchant, filing complaints with the proper department, mediation procedure, and Justice Court procedure. This section also provides information on judgments, contract law, and affordable legal resources. 

See page 3 of the Consumer Law Handbook.

This section outlines the protections provided to consumers through the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, consumer warranties, and strategies for vehicle purchasing and repairs.

See page 15 of the Consumer Law Handbook.

The "Purchasing an Automobile" section of the handbook explains "lemon laws," credit, warranties, and repossession. It includes a checklist to use when considering buying a car. 

See page 25 of the Consumer Law Handbook.

This section provides information on credit, secured credit, fair credit billing, credit reports, payday loans, and protections against creditor harassment. 

See page 40 of the Consumer Law Handbook.

This section lists the protections surrounding debt collection, bankruptcy, and repossession in Texas. This section includes a state and federal debt collection law as well as the resources provided by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

See page 57 of the Consumer Law Handbook.

This section describes the rights of renters and homeowners as it comes to repairs, utilities, and landlord violations. Information on subleasing, security deposits, and defects in the property are also available. Further information for homeowners on construction liens, warranties, and mortgages can be found at the end of this section. 

See page 67 of the Consumer Law Handbook.

The fraud section identifies the variety of fraudulent trade practices fraud protections, and strategies for if you have already been defrauded.

See page 83 of the Consumer Law Handbook.

This section covers the various aspects of insurance including insurance premiums, liability and property insurance, insurance claims, and insurance complaint forms.

See page 90 of the Consumer Law Handbook.

The HIPAA section covers protected health information (PHI), access and disclosures of medical records, health information and worker's compensation, and access to the Department of Health and Human Services. 

See page 96 of the Consumer Law Handbook.

Note that effective September 1, 2020, the maximum amount of money that you can get in damages in small claims court has increased to $20,000 from $10,000. Learn more from the Texas Justice Court Training Center’s blog post here: Jurisdictional Limit Increase Now in Effect. Read Texas Rules of Civil Procedure part 5.