Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins defaulted on payment of his home loan two years ago, according to county records.
The default on the loan by Watkins and his wife, Tanya, on their DeSoto home occurred in November 2008. County records show that a lien was placed on the property that same month.
The documents do not say how Watkins defaulted or how much money was owed. According to the Dallas County Sheriff's Department, the home was never placed on the list for foreclosure, which would mean that the necessary payments were made.
The couple originally borrowed $559,200 for their home in 2003, the records show. The house is appraised at $549,900, according to the Dallas Central Appraisal District.
Watkins, a Democrat who is seeking re-election in November, declined through his representatives to comment about the documents.
Eric Celeste, his campaign spokesman, also refused to discuss the default matter, saying via a text message: "We respond to legitimate questions about making Dallas safer or campaign issues, not personal political attacks."
Danny Clancy, Watkins' Republican opponent, declined to comment.
The 2008 default was not the first time unpaid bills were a problems for Watkins.
In December 2007 – 11 months after he was sworn in as district attorney – his law license was briefly suspended when he forgot to pay his dues to the State Bar of Texas. The license was reinstated after he paid the dues and penalties. Dallas County cases were not affected.
Last August he was sued by Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages, which alleged he owed $1,249 for advertising. The company had initially sued Watkins in 2006, saying he owed nearly $16,000 of a $34,000 bill for advertising, according to the lawsuit. That lawsuit was dismissed after Watkins promised to pay the bill, but when he didn't follow through, the company sued him again. That suit was also dismissed, but it is unclear why.
Watkins' former bail bond business, Fair Park Bail Bonds, has also been the subject of complaints, records show.
Investigators found six possible violations to the state code that governs how bail bond companies can operate. A complaint filed against the company in 2004 was never resolved because Watkins closed the business before the complaint was heard.
In the six years before his run for district attorney in 2006, Watkins had three liens related to more than $100,000 in income tax disputes. They have since been paid.
The city also sued Watkins for defaulting on a $20,000 mortgage loan. Watkins paid off the loan after the suit was filed.
Watkins, who earns $125,000 a year, has continually said the lawsuits and complaints are irrelevant to his role as district attorney.
By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
