Weekly Digest
January 3 – January 9, 2026
2 opinions this week
Coventry Court, LLC v. The Downs of Hillcrest Residential Association, Inc.
Supreme Court of Texas
The Texas Supreme Court held that the court of appeals must determine the validity of an appellate waiver and whether a consent judgment was rendered without consent before dismissing an appeal. This decision impacts family law settlements involving appellate waivers.
Litigation Takeaway
“If an appeal is met with a 'waived it' motion, factual development on waiver validity can be forced. When enforcing a settlement, create a record that can withstand 'no consent/void judgment' challenges.”
4 Families of Hobby, LLC, 4 Families of Houston, LLC, and Pappas Restaurants, Inc. v. City of Houston, Texas
Supreme Court of Texas
The Texas Supreme Court determined that the plaintiffs deserved jurisdictional discovery on a key fact question regarding municipal expenditures under Chapter 252. Given that this fact is crucial to the application of Chapter 252's bid-law immunity waiver, the Court reversed the court of appeals' decision and returned the case for jurisdictional discovery.
Litigation Takeaway
“Family-law litigators should use this case as a strategic guide for standing and plea battles where decisive, fact-dependent elements exist, often within the opponent's control. The opinion reinforces the necessity for allowing focused jurisdictional discovery when jurisdiction relies on specific facts.”