Court Opinion

ID: 9389709
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-04-26 06:07:44.067777+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:29.247642
License: Public Domain

VACATE and DISMISS and Opinion Filed April 19, 2023

                                    S  In The
                            Court of Appeals
                     Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
                               No. 05-22-00987-CV

                     WENDELL TYLER, Appellant
                               V.
              CREEKSIDE VILLAGE APARTMENTS, Appellee

                On Appeal from the County Court at Law No. 1
                            Dallas County, Texas
                    Trial Court Cause No. CC-22-03764-A

                        MEMORANDUM OPINION
                 Before Justices Molberg, Reichek, and Breedlove
                           Opinion by Justice Molberg
      This is an appeal from the trial court’s final judgment of possession in a

forcible-detainer suit. The judgment was not superseded, and a writ of possession

was served on appellant. Because it appeared appellant was no longer in possession

of the property, and a forcible detainer action generally becomes moot when the

tenant is no longer in possession of the premises, we questioned our jurisdiction over

the appeal. See Marshall v. Housing Auth. of City of San Antonio, 198 S.W.3d 782,

785, 787 (Tex. 2006) (only issue in forcible detainer action is possession, and issue

becomes moot when tenant vacates property unless tenant has “potentially
meritorious claim of right to current, actual possession”); Olley v. HVM, L.L.C., 449

S.W.3d 573, 575 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2014, pet. denied) (appellate

courts lack jurisdiction over moot controversies).

      We directed appellant to file a letter brief addressing the Court’s concern and

noted that, if we determined we lacked jurisdiction, we would set aside the trial

court’s judgment and dismiss the case. See Marshall, 198 S.W.3d at 785, 790 (when

case becomes moot on appeal, appellate court must set aside trial court judgment

and dismiss case). More than ten days have passed and appellant has not filed a

letter brief or otherwise communicated with the Court. Accordingly, as it appears

appellant is no longer in possession of the premises, we vacate the trial court’s

judgment and dismiss the case as moot. See id. at 790.

                                           /Ken Molberg/
                                           KEN MOLBERG
                                           JUSTICE

220987F.P05

                                        –2–
                                   S
                           Court of Appeals
                    Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
                                   JUDGMENT

WENDELL TYLER, Appellant                    On Appeal from the County Court at
                                            Law No. 1, Dallas County, Texas
No. 05-22-00987-CV         V.               Trial Court Cause No. CC-22-03764-
                                            A.
CREEKSIDE VILLAGE                           Opinion delivered by Justice
APARTMENTS, Appellee                        Molberg, Justices Reichek and
                                            Breedlove participating.

      In accordance with this Court’s opinion of this date, we VACATE the trial
court’s final judgment and DISMISS the case.

Judgment entered April 19, 2023.

                                      –3–