In a significant legal move, plaintiffs have filed a class action lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of fees imposed by a local river authority. On November 26, 2025, Jason Titter-Bell and CDF Textiles, Ltd., acting on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated, lodged a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas against the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA). The lawsuit alleges that SJRA has been unlawfully collecting an unconstitutional tax from water customers in Montgomery County since September 8, 2020.
The plaintiffs argue that the Pumpage Fee levied by SJRA is not only unconstitutional but also illegal. They claim that this fee, which appears on their monthly water bills as “SJRA Fees,” constitutes an unauthorized tax rather than a legitimate charge for services rendered. According to the complaint, SJRA lacks both statutory and constitutional authority to impose such a fee. The plaintiffs contend that this fee was initially introduced as part of a scheme between SJRA and the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District (LSGCD) to fund a surface water treatment plant at Lake Conroe. However, they assert that since LSGCD’s groundwater production reduction rules were declared void and subsequently repealed in September 2020, there is no longer any legal basis for imposing this fee.
The lawsuit further details how SJRA’s actions have financially impacted thousands of residential and commercial water customers in Montgomery County. Plaintiffs allege that these fees effectively double the cost of water for consumers without providing any corresponding service or benefit. They accuse SJRA of using these fees as a revenue source to pay off bonds issued for the construction of the Lake Conroe treatment plant—an infrastructure project typically funded through voter-approved taxes.
Seeking justice for what they describe as an illegal exaction, plaintiffs are requesting several forms of relief from the court. They seek declaratory judgment affirming that the Pumpage Fee is indeed an unconstitutional tax and demand restitution for all fees paid since September 8, 2020. Additionally, they are pursuing attorneys’ fees and litigation costs under federal statutes.
Representing the plaintiffs are attorneys Marvin W. Jones and C. Brantley Jones from Sprouse Shrader Smith PLLC in Amarillo, Texas, along with Richard L. Coffman from The Coffman Law Firm in Houston. The case is presided over by Judge [Name], under Case ID: 4:25-cv-05722.
Source: 425cv05722_Jason_Titter_Bell_v_San_Jacinto_Complaint_Southern_District_of_Texas.pdf
