I'm hoping for a little clarification on this ....
So, lets say a landlord gives you 72 hours notice that you need to move out (the reason for notice is being late on rent).
The tenet does not move out in the 72 hours, and instead of the landlord going through the court process as they are suppose to, they simply change the locks.
I understand this is considered an illegal lockout.
The most pressing issue is: What is the tenet to do right away to access their belongings?
The second issue is: What recourse does the tenet have in court? I know (from the peoples court ...lol) in Florida the tenet is entitled to 3 times the rent in damages ... but what are the damages in Texas?
Also, lets say the tenet takes the landlord to court and wins, is any amount of rent that was not paid to the landlord, withheld from the damages awarded to the tenet, or are those separate matters?
Thanks to all that take the time to reply!