Opinion ID: 894949
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Discretion to Dismiss

Text: Petitioners argue that even if the trial court had jurisdiction to proceed with the case, it nevertheless had discretion to dismiss it given the circumstances. We disagree. The trial court had jurisdiction to try the case de novo and was obliged to exercise that jurisdiction: “[I]t is a time-honored maxim of the Anglo-American common-law tradition that a court possessed of jurisdiction generally must exercise it.” [33] We think this maxim applies with equal if not greater force where the Legislature has by statute expressly created trial court jurisdiction to hear the dispute. Unless the dismissal was an appropriate sanction for improper conduct, a contention we reject below, the trial court should have exercised its jurisdiction to decide the case on the merits. Petitioners argue that the trial court had discretion to dismiss the case and award fees and expenses under section 21.0195(c) of the Property Code, applicable to TxDOT -related condemnation proceedings, because of TxDOT’s failure “to bring the proceeding properly.” [34] TxDOT did not fail to bring the proceeding properly. As explained above, the trial court had jurisdiction to hear the case. TxDOT met the section 21.012 requirements for bringing the condemnation petition. TxDOT and Petitioners timely lodged the case in the trial court after the administrative hearing in accordance with section 21.018. TxDOT may have failed to timely amend its discovery responses and/or may have failed to comply with the trial court’s docket control orders, as described below, but such routine failures in the course of trial court proceedings are subject to the remedies available under the rules of civil procedure automatically applicable to condemnation proceedings, which the court tries “in the same manner as other civil causes” under section 21.018(b). These lapses do not constitute a failure “to bring the proceeding properly” in the first instance under section 21.0195(c). TxDOT brought the condemnation suit properly by complying with all jurisdictional and procedural requirements for bringing the suit.