Opinion
NO. 14-16-00119-CV
06-28-2016
COCHRAN INVESTMENTS, INC., Appellant v. CHICAGO TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY, Appellee
On Appeal from the 80th District Court Harris County, Texas
Trial Court Cause No. 2014-04631
ABATEMENT ORDER
The reporter's record in this case was due March 8, 2016. See Tex. R. App. P. 35.1. The record was not filed. On April 5, 2016, this court ordered the court reporter, Michelle Tucker, to file the record within 30 days. When Tucker failed to file the record as ordered, on May 10, 2016 this court ordered her to file the record within 30 days, and instructed her that if the record was not filed, the court would order the trial court to conduct a hearing to determine the reason for failure to file the record. On May 12, 2016, Tucker filed a motion for extension of time to file the record until June 17, 2016, stating she was paid for the record three days earlier. This court granted the extension on May 13, 2016, and noted no further extensions would be granted. The record has not been filed with the court.
The trial and appellate courts are jointly responsible for ensuring that the appellate record is timely filed. See Tex. R. App. P. 35.3(c). Because the reporter's record has not been filed timely as ordered, we issue the following order.
We direct the judge of the 80th District Court to conduct a hearing at which Michelle Tucker, appellant's counsel, and appellee's counsel shall participate (a) to determine the reason for failure to file the record; (b) to establish a date certain when the reporter's record will be filed, and (c) to make findings as to whether Tucker should be held in contempt of court for failing to file the reporter's record timely as ordered. We order the court to prepare a record, in the form of a reporter's record, of the hearing. The judge shall make findings of fact and conclusions of law, and shall order the trial clerk to forward to this court a supplemental clerk's record containing the findings and conclusions. The hearing record and supplemental clerk's record shall be filed with the clerk of this court by July 28, 2016.
The appeal is abated, treated as a closed case, and removed from this court's active docket. The appeal will be reinstated on this court's active docket when the trial court's findings and recommendations are filed in this court. The court will also consider an appropriate motion to reinstate the appeal filed by either party, or the court may reinstate the appeal on its own motion. If the court reporter files the record prior to the date set for the hearing, the appeal will be reinstated and the trial court need not hold a hearing.
PER CURIAM