Bryce Mathew Watkins v. Madison Peete Watkins

In The

Court of Appeals

Ninth District of Texas at Beaumont

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NO. 09-25-00215-CV
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BRYCE MATHEW WATKINS, Appellant

V.

MADISON PEETE WATKINS, Appellee

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On Appeal from the 253rd District Court
Liberty County, Texas
Trial Cause No. 23DC-CV-01719
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MEMORANDUM OPINION

On June 5, 2025, Bryce Mathew Watkins mailed a notice of appeal from a

final decree of divorce signed on May 6, 2025. The District Clerk received the notice

of appeal within 10 days of the date it was due to be filed and forwarded the notice

of appeal to the appellate court. See Tex. R. App. P. 9.2(b). Upon receiving the notice

of appeal, the Clerk of the Court issued an invoice for the filing fee for the appeal.

By letter dated July 21, 2025, we notified the parties that Appellant had not paid the

filing fee as directed in our letter and invoice previously forwarded to Appellant. A

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Certified Bill of Costs for the filing fee was enclosed and provided to Appellant. We

warned Appellant in our letter dated July 21, 2025, that unless the filing fee was

paid, the appeal would be dismissed without further notice on any date after

Thursday, July 31, 2025. See id. 42.3(c).

On August 1, 2025, we received Appellant’s request to waive the filing fee.

The Clerk of the Court notified Appellant that he must complete and file a Statement

of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs, and further informed Appellant that

if he is seeking a free record he must also comply with Texas Rule of Civil Procedure

145 and file a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs with the

District Clerk. On September 15, 2025, the Clerk of the Court notified the parties

that the Court had granted a second extension of time to file a Statement of Inability

to Afford Payment of Court Costs with the appellate court. We notified the parties

that unless we received the Statement by September 30, 2025, we would proceed as

if Appellant is not indigent. As of this date, Appellant has failed to pay the filing fee

as directed by this Court.

Appellant has neither established indigence nor has he paid the filing fee for

the appeal; therefore, we dismiss the appeal for want of prosecution. Id. 5, 42.3(c),

43.2(f).

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APPEAL DISMISSED.

PER CURIAM

Submitted on March 18, 2026
Opinion Delivered March 19, 2026

Before Johnson, Wright and Chambers, JJ.

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