in the Interest of D.P. and D.D.P., Children ( 2020 )

In The
Court of Appeals
Seventh District of Texas at Amarillo
No. 07-20-00147-CV
IN THE INTEREST OF D.P. AND D.D.P., CHILDREN
On Appeal from the County Court at Law No. 2
Lubbock County, Texas
Trial Court No. 97560546, Honorable Meg Jordan, Associate Judge Presiding
August 5, 2020
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Before QUINN, C.J., and PIRTLE and PARKER, JJ.
Appellant, L.D.P, appearing pro se, appeals from the trial court’s Order in Suit for
Modification of Support Order and to Confirm Support Arrearage. The associate judge
signed the order on October 7, 2019.1 As no post-judgment motions or requests were
filed, a notice of appeal was due within thirty days after the order was signed, by
November 6, 2019. TEX. R. APP. P. 26.1(a). Appellant filed a notice of appeal on June
26, 2020.
1 No request for de novo hearing was filed. Therefore, the associate judge’s order became the
order of the referring court by operation of law without ratification on October 7, 2019. See TEX. FAM. CODE
ANN. § 201.1041(a) (West 2014).
A timely notice of appeal is essential to invoking this Court’s jurisdiction. See TEX.
R. APP. P. 25.1(b), 26.1; Verburgt v. Dorner, 959 S.W.2d 615, 616–17 (Tex. 1997). By
letter of July 8, 2020, we notified L.D.P. that his notice of appeal appeared untimely and
directed him to file a response by July 22 showing grounds for continuing the appeal or
the appeal would be dismissed for want of jurisdiction. L.D.P. filed a response but failed
to demonstrate grounds for continuing the appeal.
Accordingly, we dismiss the purported appeal for want of jurisdiction. TEX. R. APP.
P. 42.3(a).
Per Curiam
2