Opinion ID: 894704
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Court Costs and Post-Judgment Interest

Text: Last, we address Marshall's argument that because the trial court's judgment held her liable for court costs incurred by the Housing Authority and for post-judgment interest, her contest of liability for costs constitutes a live controversy. In response, the Housing Authority asserts that the costs awarded were for a nominal amount, and therefore, the doctrine of de minimus non curat lex or the law does not care for trifling matters should be applied to prevent consideration of the case on appeal. See, e.g., Yates Ford, Inc. v. Ramirez, 692 S.W.2d 51, 55 (Tex.1985) (applying the de minimis doctrine to overcharges in a consumer credit case). We agree with Marshall that in some instances a case is not moot even though the only issue presented relates to court costs. See Allstate Ins. Co. v. Hallman, 159 S.W.3d 640, 642-43 (Tex.2005); see also Furr's Supermarkets, Inc. v. Bethune, 53 S.W.3d 375, 378 (Tex.2001). If the trial court's judgment is vacated as a result of the case being moot, however, either there will be no order assessing costs and each party will be required to pay its own costs under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 127, or the appellate court will tax costs. Moreover, we conclude that the Housing Authority's seeking dismissal of the case because it is otherwise moot and concurrently asserting that the costs awarded by the trial court are de minimus constitute good cause for the Housing Authority to be responsible for its own trial court costs. See TEX. R. APP. P. 60.4 (stating that the Court may, for good cause, tax costs other than as provided by rule). We do not consider the issue of the Housing Authority's costs and post-judgment interest on those costs to present a controversy preventing dismissal of the case for mootness.