When is an unruled Texas justice-court postjudgment motion automatically denied?

Obtain the actual signed judgment and each covered postjudgment motion.

Determine whether the judge already ruled and preserve the actual order.

Read Rule 505.3(e)’s express 5:00 p.m. boundary and assess the applicable Rule 500.4 calendar separately.

1. Obtain the actual signed judgment and each covered postjudgment motion.
2. Determine whether the judge already ruled and preserve the actual order.
3. Read Rule 505.3(e)’s express 5:00 p.m. boundary and assess the applicable Rule 500.4 calendar separately.
4. Rule 505.3(e) identifies the twenty-first day after judgment signing if the judge has not ruled. Do not substitute a motion-filing date, hearing, receipt or ordinary midnight filing boundary. This guide does not calculate a denial instant, apply an automatic closed-day adjustment or determine the actual motion history.
5. Check the actual court calendar and complete the required act.

Rule 500.4 excludes the triggering day and counts every intermediate day, including Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, even for periods of five days or less. A final Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday moves to the next eligible day. If the last filing day is a day the court closes before 5:00 p.m., filing moves to the court’s next business day. Establish that actual closure separately. Do not import Rule 4’s short-period exclusion or the distinct Rule 510 eviction procedure.

The preset cannot establish the absence of a prior ruling, a precise 5:00 p.m. denial instant or all applicable calendar facts. This guide calculates no court disposition.

Covered case and actual court directions

Rules 500.1(a)–(c) identify the covered small-claims, debt and repair-and-remedy cases and any controlling special rule. Rule 500.1(d) places eviction under Rule 510. Other Civil Rules and Evidence Rules apply only as specified by law or these rules, or as the judge determines necessary for fairness under .1(e).

Earlier ruling is material

Rule 505.3(e) operates only if the judge has not ruled. An actual ruling can establish a different denial event relevant to Rule 506.1(a).

Filing and automatic disposition differ

The motion filing periods in Rule 505.3(a)–(c) are fourteen days with distinct service requirements. Paragraph (e)’s twenty-one-day automatic disposition is not more filing time.

Express time is not midnight

Rule 505.3(e) expressly states 5:00 p.m. An ordinary Rule 21 electronic filing receipt does not establish that the judge ruled before the automatic-disposition boundary.

• Actual service, receipt, signing, historical editions, legal holidays and court instructions require separate assessment.
• This guide does not establish a favorable ruling or automatically extend an excluded period.

• Obtain the actual signed judgment and each covered postjudgment motion.
• Determine whether the judge already ruled and preserve the actual order.
• Read Rule 505.3(e)’s express 5:00 p.m. boundary and assess the applicable Rule 500.4 calendar separately.
• Rules 500.1(a)–(c) identify the covered small-claims, debt and repair-and-remedy cases and any controlling special rule. Rule 500.1(d) places eviction under Rule 510. Other Civil Rules and Evidence Rules apply only as specified by law or these rules, or as the judge determines necessary for fairness under .1(e).
• Rule 505.3(e) operates only if the judge has not ruled. An actual ruling can establish a different denial event relevant to Rule 506.1(a).
• The motion filing periods in Rule 505.3(a)–(c) are fourteen days with distinct service requirements. Paragraph (e)’s twenty-one-day automatic disposition is not more filing time.
• Rule 505.3(e) expressly states 5:00 p.m. An ordinary Rule 21 electronic filing receipt does not establish that the judge ruled before the automatic-disposition boundary.
• An actual judge ruling or the applicable operation-of-law event determines motion disposition. Preserve the signed judgment, motion, court orders, docket and the precise denial event before assessing Rule 506.1(a). No extra party document automatically prevents denial.