A real property owner can bring a trespass to try title case in order to dispute ownership of property. Requirements for a trespass to try title suit are explained in Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 783. The only issues involved are title and possession. The claimant must rely on the strength of their own title and not any weakness of the defendant's title. The claimant should seek an order that voids any adverse claim in order to vest clear title in the name of the claimant. To establish a proof of claim for trespass to try title the claimant must prove one of the following: 1) title from a common source; 2) a regular chain of conveyances from the sovereign; 3) adverse possession; or 4) prior possession which has not been abandoned.
