Sec. 41.005.  VOLUNTARY DESIGNATION OF HOMESTEAD.  (a)  If a rural homestead of a family is part of one or more parcels containing a total of more than 200 acres, the head of the family and, if married, that person's spouse may voluntarily designate not more than 200 acres of the property as the homestead.  If a rural homestead of a single adult person, not otherwise entitled to a homestead, is part of one or more parcels containing a total of more than 100 acres, the person may voluntarily designate not more than 100 acres of the property as the homestead.
(b)  If an urban homestead of a family, or an urban homestead of a single adult person not otherwise entitled to a homestead, is part of one or more contiguous lots containing a total of more than 10 acres, the head of the family and, if married, that person's spouse or the single adult person, as applicable, may voluntarily designate not more than 10 acres of the property as the homestead.
(c)  Except as provided by Subsection (e) or Subchapter B, to designate property as a homestead, a person or persons, as applicable, must make the designation in an instrument that is signed and acknowledged or proved in the manner required for the recording of other instruments.  The person or persons must file the designation with the county clerk of the county in which all or part of the property is located.  The clerk shall record the designation in the county deed records.  The designation must contain:
(1)  a description sufficient to identify the property designated;
(2)  a statement by the person or persons who executed the instrument that the property is designated as the homestead of the person's family or as the homestead of a single adult person not otherwise entitled to a homestead;  
(3)  the name of the current record title holder of the property;  and
(4)  for a rural homestead, the number of acres designated and, if there is more than one survey, the number of acres in each.
(d)  A person or persons, as applicable, may change the boundaries of a homestead designated under Subsection (c) by executing and recording an instrument in the manner required for a voluntary designation under that subsection.  A change under this subsection does not impair rights acquired by a party before the change.
(e)  Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, property on which a person receives an exemption from taxation under Section 11.43, Tax Code, is considered to have been designated as the person's homestead for purposes of this subchapter if the property is listed as the person's residence homestead on the most recent appraisal roll for the appraisal district established for the county in which the property is located.  If a person designates property as a homestead under Subsection (c) or Subchapter B and a different property is considered to have been designated as the person's homestead under this subsection, the designation under Subsection (c) or Subchapter B, as applicable, prevails for purposes of this chapter.
(f)  If a person or persons, as applicable, have not made a voluntary designation of a homestead under this section as of the time a writ of execution is issued against the person, any designation of the person's or persons' homestead must be made in accordance with Subchapter B.
(g)  An instrument that made a voluntary designation of a homestead in accordance with prior law and that is on file with the county clerk on September 1, 1987, is considered a voluntary designation of a homestead under this section.
Added by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 727, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 31, 1987.  Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 48, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993;  Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 297, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 1, 1993;  Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 846, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997;  Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1510, Sec. 3, eff. Jan. 1, 2000.