TexasCHLforum.com

That was actually a hats off to your song lyric reference.

In a commercial landlord-tenant relationship, the rights and responsibilities should be spelled out in the contract. It's possible some contracts prohibit the landlord from denying access to anyone approved by the tenant. Others may retain that right for the landlord, or specify the circumstances when the landlord may restrict access for someone approved by the tenant.

To step outside SB321 which is a hot button for some people, a landlord could theoretically prohibit parking if a vehicle does not have current registration and inspection stickers. I know a residential landlord who does that. Even if someone has an access card, that landlord reserves the right to tow vehicles with expired inspection stickers. So I think it's theoretically possible some landlords have the right under some leases to prohibit vehicles or people for other reasons too. Completely hypothetically, refusal to allow a search could be one such reason.

What if they have a sign?

seamusTX wrote:I think the key point is that your employer can require searching your vehicle as a condition of employment (as many do). The owner of the property, who is not your employer and has no direct legal relation to you*, cannot search your vehicle. They can only ask, if they even care, and you can say No.

If he says No, they can tell him to leave and never come back, which is trespass notice under 30.05 if I'm not mistaken. If he refuses to leave, or he returns, he would then be trespassing. If he has a firearm that could upgrade the 30.05 trespassing offense.

It's maybe not such a big deal at a shopping mall where you can shop somewhere else pretty easily, but it could be a bigger problem if your employer's landlord won't allow you on their property.

I admit it's a very unlikely scenario but I also don't personally know anyone whose employer searches cars, except people who work for the government or some kind of critical infrastructure facility. Stories on the internet are a different kettle of fish.

The Annoyed Man wrote:I remember that, early on, 30.06 was intended to include only the "premises," which did not include parking lots

What's your source for that? I'm asking because the 30.06 law clearly says "property" (not "premises") same as the 30.05 law before it.

Are you saying the parking lot isn't owned or managed by your employer?