Court Opinion

ID: 9363584
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-16 09:08:01.188221+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:15:32.647390
License: Public Domain

In the
        Court of Appeals
Second Appellate District of Texas
         at Fort Worth
     ___________________________
          No. 02-22-00486-CV
     ___________________________

     ANTHONY SEWELL, Appellant

                      V.

       ANGELA SEWELL, Appellee

  On Appeal from the 481st District Court
         Denton County, Texas
       Trial Court No. 21-8447-16

  Before Sudderth, C.J.; Kerr and Walker, JJ.
  Memorandum Opinion by Justice Walker
                            MEMORANDUM OPINION

         In this divorce action, the trial court signed its final decree of divorce on

August 11, 2022.      Appellant Anthony Sewell filed his motion for new trial on

September 12, 2022, thus extending his deadline for filing a notice of appeal to

November 9, 2022. See Tex. R. App. P. 26.1(a)(1) (requiring after the filing of motion

for new trial that notice of appeal be filed within ninety days after the judgment is

signed). Although the motion was overruled by operation of law on October 25,

2022, see Tex. R. Civ. P. 329b(c), on November 9, 2022, the trial court signed an order

denying Sewell’s motion for new trial. Sewell then filed his notice of appeal on

December 9, 2022.

         On December 12, 2022, we informed Sewell of our concern that we lacked

jurisdiction over his appeal because his notice of appeal was not timely filed. We

further informed him that, unless he or any party desiring to continue the appeal filed

on or before December 22, 2022, a response showing grounds for continuing this

appeal, it might be dismissed for want of jurisdiction. See Tex. R. App. P. 42.3(a). We

received no such response.

         After the timely filing of a motion for new trial, Appellate courts have

jurisdiction to consider an appeal only if the notice of appeal was filed within ninety

days of the final judgment. Tex. R. App. P. 26.1(a)(1). An order denying a motion for

new trial does not extend this deadline. Naaman v. Grider, 126 S.W.3d 73, 74 (Tex.

2003).

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       Because Sewell’s notice of appeal was filed 120 days after the trial court’s final

divorce decree, he did not timely perfect his appeal. Thus, we must dismiss his appeal

for want of jurisdiction. See id.; see also Tex. R. App. P. 26.(1)(a), 42.3(a), 43.2(f).

                                                          /s/ Brian Walker

                                                          Brian Walker
                                                          Justice

Delivered: January 12, 2023

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