Opinion
NO. 14-17-00101-CV
04-11-2017
LAMARTINE TCHANA, VALERIE TCHIKOU, Appellants v. ROCKRIDGE PLACE, Appellee
On Appeal from County Civil Court at Law No. 4 Harris County, Texas
Trial Court Cause No. 1085913
ORDER
On November 11, 2016, appellant Lamartine Tchana filed in the trial court a statement of inability to afford payment of court costs or an appeal bond. She filed a similar statement in this court on March 3, 2017.
A party who files such a statement in the trial court may not be required to pay costs except by court order. See Tex. R. Civ. P. 145(a). Neither the clerk's record nor the supplemental clerk's record regarding indigence reflects any such order by the trial court.
When a party files a statement of inability to afford payment of costs in the trial court, the party's indigence status in the trial court carries forward on appeal. Tex. R. Civ. P. 20.1(b)(1). Accordingly, we order as follows:
Tchana may proceed without payment of costs on appeal. The official court reporter for Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 4 is directed to file the reporter's record by May 15, 2017.
Appellant's brief will be due 30 days after the reporter's record is filed.
PER CURIAM