Court Opinion

ID: 9956028
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-30 18:14:59.033202+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:15:04.692641
License: Public Domain

NUMBER 13-23-00592-CV

                            COURT OF APPEALS

                   THIRTEENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS

                     CORPUS CHRISTI – EDINBURG

           IN THE INTEREST OF T.B.R. AND K.A.R., CHILDREN

             ON APPEAL FROM THE 214TH DISTRICT COURT
                    OF NUECES COUNTY, TEXAS

                         MEMORANDUM OPINION
               Before Justices Benavides, Tijerina, and Silva
                 Memorandum Opinion by Justice Tijerina

      On December 20, 2023, appellant Dora Soto filed a notice of appeal from a “Default

Order” in a suit modifying the parent-child relationship. On December 22, 2023, the Clerk

of this Court requested appellant to pay the $205.00 filing fee for the notice of appeal

within ten days. See TEX. R. APP. P. 5 (“A party who is not excused by statute or these

rules from paying costs must pay—at the time an item is presented for filing—whatever

fees are required by statute or Supreme Court order. The appellate court may enforce

this rule by any order that is just.”); TEX. GOV’T CODE ANN. § 51.207 (delineating the
required fees and costs in an appellate court). The Clerk also advised appellant that the

notice of appeal failed to comply with Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 25.1(d)(2) and

25.1(d)(4) and requested correction of these defects. See TEX. R. APP. P. 25.1(d)(2),(4);

see also id. R. 37.1.

       On January 24, 2024, the Clerk notified appellant that she was delinquent in

submitting the filing fee for the notice of appeal and informed her that the appeal would

be dismissed if the filing fee was not paid. See id. R. 42.3(b), (c). That same day, the

Clerk again advised appellant that the notice of appeal was defective, requested

correction of the defects, and advised appellant that the appeal would be dismissed if the

defects were not corrected. See id. R. 25.1(d)(2), (4).

       To date, appellant has neither paid the filing fee for the notice of appeal nor filed a

corrected notice of appeal. This Court has the authority to dismiss an appeal because the

appellant has failed to comply with a requirement of the appellate rules, a court order, or

a notice from the clerk requiring a response or other action within a specified time. See

id. R. 42.3(b), (c); Smith v. DC Civil Constr., LLC, 521 S.W.3d 75, 76 (Tex. App.—San

Antonio 2017, no pet.). Here, appellant has not paid the appellate filing fee and has not

filed a corrected notice of appeal. Accordingly, we dismiss this appeal. See TEX. R. APP.

P. 42.3(b), (c).

                                                                        JAIME TIJERINA
                                                                        Justice

Delivered and filed on the
28th day of March, 2024.

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