Corpus Christi Housing Authority v. Maria Lara
The Corpus Christi Housing Authority appealed the dismissal of its forcible detainer action against tenant Maria Lara. The housing authority terminated Lara's lease due to alleged criminal activity. The trial court dismissed the action, ruling that the housing authority's notice of lease termination was defective as it failed to specify the judicial eviction procedure and the type of criminal activity, as mandated by federal regulations, and that this defect deprived the court of subject-matter jurisdiction. The appellate court reversed the dismissal, finding that while the notice was indeed deficient, such defects are not jurisdictional and should lead to abatement of the action to allow the housing authority to cure the notice, rather than outright dismissal. The case was remanded for further proceedings consistent with this ruling.