James Charles Smith v. Pioneer Homes Builders, Inc.

Appeal Reinstated; Motion Denied and Order filed June 14, 2013 In The Fourteenth Court of Appeals ____________ NO. 14-12-00825-CV ____________ JAMES CHARLES SMITH, Appellant V. PIONEER HOMES BUILDERS, INC., Appellee On Appeal from the 133rd District Court Harris County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. 2011-57739 ORDER This appeal is from a judgment signed August 28, 2012. Appellant filed a notice of appeal on August 31, 2012. Appellant filed a motion to proceed without payment of costs in this court. See Tex. R. App. P. 20.1(h). The district clerk filed a contest. We abated the appeal and referred the matter to the trial court. See Tex. R. App. P. 20.1(h)(4). On May 13, 2013, the trial court signed an order sustaining the contest to appellant’s claim of indigence. Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 20.1 governs the procedures to establish indigence on appeal. See Tex. R. App, P. 20.1 (West Supp. 2012). The rule requires a party claiming indigence who seeks review of the trial court’s order sustaining a contest to file her challenge “within 10 days after the order sustaining the contest is signed, or within 10 days after the notice of appeal is filed, whichever is later.” Tex. R. App. P. 20.1(j)(2). As of this date, appellant has not filed a motion challenging the trial court’s order. Accordingly, appellant’s motion is denied and appellant is ordered to pay the filing fee in the amount of $175.00 to the Clerk of this court on or before July 1, 2013. See Tex. R. App. P. 5. If appellant fails to timely pay the filing fee in accordance with this order, the appeal will be dismissed. PER CURIAM Panel consists of Justices Boyce, Jamison and Busby.