Sec. 54.039.  JUDICIAL REVIEW.  (a)  Any owner, lienholder, or mortgagee of record jointly or severally aggrieved by any decision of a commission panel may present a petition to a district court, duly verified, setting forth that the decision is illegal, in whole or in part, and specifying the grounds of the illegality.  The petition must be presented to the court within 30 calendar days after the date a copy of the final decision of the commission panel is personally delivered, mailed by first class mail with certified return receipt requested, or delivered by the United States Postal Service using signature confirmation service, to all persons to whom notice is required to be sent under Section 54.035.  The commission panel shall deliver or mail that copy promptly after the decision becomes final.  In addition, an abbreviated copy of the order shall be published one time in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality within 10 calendar days after the date of the delivery or mailing of the copy as provided by this subsection, including the street address or legal description of the property; the date of the hearing, a brief statement indicating the results of the order, and instructions stating where a complete copy of the order may be obtained, and, except in a municipality with a population of 1.9 million or more, a copy shall be filed in the office of the municipal secretary or clerk.
(b)  On presentation of the petition, the court may allow a writ of certiorari directed to the commission panel to review the decision of the commission panel and shall prescribe in the writ the time, which may not be less than 10 days, within which a return on the writ must be made and served on the relator or the relator's attorney.
(c)  The commission panel may not be required to return the original papers acted on by it.  It is sufficient for the commission panel to return certified or sworn copies of the papers or of parts of the papers as may be called for by the writ.
(d)  The return must concisely set forth other facts as may be pertinent and material to show the grounds for the decision appealed from and shall be verified.
(e)  The allowance of the writ does not stay proceedings on the decision appealed from.
(f)  The district court's review shall be limited to a hearing under the substantial evidence rule.  The court may reverse or affirm, in whole or in part, or may modify the decision brought up for review.
(g)  Costs may not be allowed against the commission panel.
(h)  If the decision of the commission panel is affirmed or not substantially reversed but only modified, the district court shall allow to the municipality all attorney's fees and other costs and expenses incurred by it and shall enter a judgment for those items, which may be entered against the property owners as well as all persons found to be in occupation of the property subject to the proceedings before the commission panel.
Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1113, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 28, 1989.  Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 836, Sec. 7, eff. Sept. 1, 1993;  Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 413, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 2001;  Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 701, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 370 (S.B. 352), Sec. 2, eff. June 15, 2007.