Background
Robert E. Gaines appealed from a case in the 451st Judicial District Court of Kendall County involving Randall C. Brown, doing business as RB Property Management, and Donald D. and Patricia W. Bowers, doing business as Comfort Mobile Home Park. The memorandum opinion does not describe the underlying dispute or the trial court’s ruling.
A $205 filing fee was due when Gaines filed his notice of appeal. The appellate clerk notified him of the deficiency on April 30, 2026, and requested payment by May 11. After the fee remained unpaid, the court ordered Gaines to pay it by June 11 and warned that failure to do so would result in dismissal.
The Court’s Holding
The Fourth Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal for want of prosecution. The filing fee remained unpaid, and nothing filed in either the appellate court or the trial court indicated that Gaines was indigent and unable to afford the costs of appeal.
The court relied on Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 42.3(a), which permits dismissal for want of prosecution, and Rule 42.3(c), which permits dismissal when an appellant fails to comply with a court order.
Key Takeaways
- An appellant must timely pay the required appellate filing fee unless the record establishes an inability to afford appellate costs.
- Failure to cure a filing-fee deficiency after notice may support dismissal for want of prosecution.
- An appellate court may dismiss an appeal when the appellant fails to comply with an express payment order and warning of dismissal.
Why It Matters
The decision underscores that procedural requirements can end an appeal before the court reaches its merits. Appellants who cannot afford appellate costs must ensure that the appropriate documentation establishing indigency is filed in the trial or appellate court.