Court Opinion

ID: 9368816
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-02-07 12:09:00.428362+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:16:11.035249
License: Public Domain

Fourth Court of Appeals
                                   San Antonio, Texas
                                         February 3, 2023

                                      No. 04-22-00703-CV

                                    Terrick L. ALSBROOKS,
                                            Appellant

                                                 v.

                       CHERISH REALTY SOLUTIONS LLC ET AL,
                                    Appellees

                   From the County Court at Law No. 3, Bexar County, Texas
                               Trial Court No. 2022CV02415
                        Honorable David J. Rodriguez, Judge Presiding

                                         ORDER
        Appellant, Terrick L. Alsbrooks, seeks to appeal from the trial court’s order dismissing
appellant’s claims asserted under the Real Estate Settlement Procedure Act signed on October
20, 2022 (hereinafter “the trial court’s dismissal order”). On January 30, 2023, the trial court
clerk filed the clerk’s record. After reviewing the record, we cannot determine whether the
dismissal order is a final, appealable order.

        Unless otherwise permitted by statute, appeals may only be had from final orders or
judgments. Jack B. Anglin Co., Inc. v. Tipps, 842 S.W.2d 266, 272 (Tex. 1992). The Texas
Supreme Court defines a judgment as final and appealable “if and only if either it actually
disposes of all claims and parties then before the court, regardless of its language, or it states
with unmistakable clarity that it is a final judgment as to all claims and all parties.” Lehmann v.
Har-Con Corporation, 39 S.W.3d 191, 192-93 (Tex. 2001). Here, the trial court’s dismissal
order does not unequivocally state that it finally disposes of all claims and parties. Moreover, the
trial court’s dismissal order makes no mention of either appellant’s breach of contract claim or
the counterclaim pleaded by Cherish Realty Solutions LLC, one of the appellees.

        Accordingly, we sua sponte ABATE this appeal and ORDER the trial court to clarify
whether it intended to render a final judgment and, if so, to sign a judgment that is final for
purposes of appeal. See id. at 206 (“If the appellate court is uncertain about the intent of the
order, it can abate the appeal to permit clarification by the trial court.”).
We further ORDER the trial court to cause a supplemental clerk’s record containing any
pleadings, orders, and judgment relating to this order to be filed in this court by March 6, 2023.
      All other appellate deadlines are suspended pending further order of this court.

                                                   _________________________________
                                                   Rebeca C. Martinez, Chief Justice

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said
court on this 3rd day of February, 2023.

                                                   ___________________________________
                                                   MICHAEL A. CRUZ, Clerk of Court