Williams Steele v. 1085 Nelson LLC Apts
- Louis Stanton
- 1:25-cv-01664
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Williams Steele v. 1085 Nelson LLC Apts, Judge Swain ordered payment or an IFP application before the case could proceed.
Beatrice Shirley Williams Steele, who must either pay the required fees or submit an IFP application within 30 days to avoid dismissal of the action.
What happened
Beatrice Shirley Williams Steele sued 1085 Nelson LLC Apts and Ita R. Flug, Esq., representing herself. She submitted the complaint without paying the required fees or submitting an application to proceed without prepaying them.
The court ordered her, within 30 days, either to pay $405 in filing and administrative fees or to submit a signed application to proceed without prepayment. The court said no summons would issue at that time, and that the action would be dismissed if she did not comply.
Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain issued the order on February 27, 2025. She also certified that any appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for an appeal.
The detailed version
- Williams Steele v. 1085 Nelson LLC Apts · No. 1:25-cv-01664
- Louis Stanton
- Feb. 27, 2025
Background
Beatrice Shirley Williams Steele brought the action without a lawyer. The complaint was submitted without the required filing fees and without an application to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP), meaning without prepaying court fees.
Order
The court explained that starting a civil action required either payment of $405—$350 for the filing fee and $55 for the administrative fee—or a signed IFP application. The court ordered Williams Steele to pay the fees or submit the application within 30 days of the order. If she submitted the application, it had to identify docket number 25-CV-1664 (LTS). The court stated that, if it granted the application, she could proceed without prepaying fees.
No summons would issue at that time. If Williams Steele complied, the case would be processed under the Clerk’s Office procedures. If she did not comply within the allowed time, the action would be dismissed.
Appeal and classification
Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that an appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied IFP status for purposes of an appeal. The order addressed filing requirements and access to the court; it did not decide the underlying claims.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.