Texas has some of the strongest homestead protections in the country. It was also one of the last states to allow home equity lending. When it reluctantly amended its Constitution to allow home equity lending, it included some draconian provisions for lenders who didn't follow the rules, allowing forfeiture of principal and interest in some cases. A lender's failure to provide a timely release after the borrower repaid the loan sparked a spirited disagreement among the Texas Justices as to whether to apply the Constitutional
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