Court Opinion

ID: 9382576
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-03-28 12:08:24.792543+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:17:40.413098
License: Public Domain

Fourth Court of Appeals
                                     San Antonio, Texas
                                 MEMORANDUM OPINION
                                        No. 04-22-00673-CV

                                        Robert STRICKER,
                                            Appellant

                                                     v.

       DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR
      MORGAN STANLEY ABS CAPTIAL I INC. TRUST 2006-HE8 MORTGAGE
             PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-HE8,
                              Appellee

                     From the County Court at Law No. 15, Bexar County, Texas
                                  Trial Court No. 2022CV01903
                              Honorable Melissa Vara, Judge Presiding

PER CURIAM

Sitting:          Luz Elena D. Chapa, Justice
                  Irene Rios, Justice
                  Beth Watkins, Justice

Delivered and Filed: March 22, 2023

VACATED AND DISMISSED

           This is an appeal from a judgment awarding possession in a forcible detainer action. The

issue of possession in a forcible detainer action becomes moot if the judgment is not timely

superseded, the appellant is no longer in possession, and the appellant does not have a potentially

meritorious claim of right to current, actual possession. See Briones v. Brazos Bend Villa Apts.,

438 S.W.3d 808, 812 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2014, no pet.). If a case is moot, we must

dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction. See id.
                                                                                            04-22-00673-CV

          In this case, we issued a show cause order on December 21, 2022, noting a writ of

possession had issued, and appellant had not filed a bond to supersede the judgment. We directed

appellant to file a response explaining why this case should not be dismissed.

          On January 5, 2023, appellant, acting pro se, moved for a thirty-day extension of time to

file his response to this court’s December 21, 2022 order, explaining he was “ill from contracting

covid 19.” We granted the motion and ordered appellant to file a response no later than January

30, 2023. On January 30, 2023, appellant moved for a second extension of time of five days,

explaining “his family [is] still recovering [f]rom medical issues after contracting Covid” and he

would “work hard to get it done before the deadline.” We granted appellant’s motion and ordered

appellant to file his response to this court’s order no later than February 6, 2023. On February 6,

2023, appellant moved for a third extension of time, seeking thirty days, and explaining he and

“his family are still recovering [f]rom medical issues after contracting Covid due to being evicted

and put out on the street.” We granted the motion in part, ordering appellant to file his response to

this court’s order, if any, no later than March 1, 2023. We further explained “[n]o further extension

of time will be granted absent a motion that demonstrates extraordinary circumstances justifying

further delay and advises the court of the efforts expended in preparing a response to the court’s

order.”

          Appellant did not file a timely response. Instead, appellant filed a fourth motion for an

extension of time explaining he had been hospitalized and was “recently discharged.” 1 However,

appellant did not identify efforts expended in preparing a response to the court’s December 21,

2022 order or otherwise identify why this appeal is not moot.

1
 Appellee Deutsche Bank National Trust Company opposed the fourth motion for an extension of time, explaining
appellant “had ample time to respond.”

                                                    -2-
                                                                            04-22-00673-CV

Accordingly, we vacate the trial court’s judgment and dismiss this case as moot. See id.

                                         PER CURIAM

                                       -3-