
NO. 07-03-0502-CV



IN THE COURT OF APPEALS



FOR THE SEVENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS



AT AMARILLO



PANEL A



JANUARY 21, 2004



______________________________





JEFFREY DON ALFORD AND ANGELA DREW ALFORD, APPELLANTS



V.



CYNTHIA JEAN ROBERTS MAYS, APPELLEE





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FROM THE 251ST DISTRICT COURT OF RANDALL COUNTY;



NO. 53-458-C; HONORABLE PATRICK A. PIRTLE, JUDGE



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Before JOHNSON, C.J., and REAVIS and CAMPBELL, JJ.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

By letters dated December 2, 2003, and January 5, 2004, this Court directed appellants Jeffrey Don Alford and Angela Drew Alford to pay the required filing fee of $125 by Friday, January 16, 2004, before any further action could be taken in this appeal, noting that failure to do so might result in dismissal.  Unless a party is excused from paying a filing fee, the Clerk of this Court is required to collect filing fees set by statute or the Supreme Court when an item is presented for filing.  
See 
Tex. R. App. P. 5 and 12.1(b).  Although the filing of a notice of appeal invokes this Court’s jurisdiction, if a party fails to follow the prescribed rules of appellate procedure, the appeal may be dismissed.  Tex. R. App. P. 25.1(b).  Thus, because the filing fee of $125 remains unpaid, we must dismiss the appeal.

Accordingly, the appeal is dismissed for failure to comply with the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure and with a notice from the Clerk requiring payment of the filing fee within ten days.  Tex. R. App. P. 42.3(c).



Don H. Reavis

    	   Justice





