Friedeberg v. G.E. Corporation
- Andrew Carter
- 1:24-cv-09774
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Friedeberg v. G.E. Corporation, Judge Swain required fees or an IFP application and a signed complaint page, or dismissal without prejudice.
Donna L. Friedeberg, who filed the action without a lawyer, must pay the required fees or submit an application to proceed without prepayment and must provide a signed complaint page. G.E. Corporation is affected because the case will not proceed to summons or an answer unless Friedeberg complies.
What happened
Donna L. Friedeberg brought Friedeberg v. G.E. Corporation without a lawyer, but submitted neither the required fees nor an application to proceed without prepaying them. The complaint was also unsigned.
The court gave Friedeberg 30 days to pay $405 or submit an application to proceed without prepayment, and to submit a signed signature page. No summons or answer will issue yet. If she does not comply, the action will be dismissed without prejudice, meaning it may be possible to bring it again. The court also denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees.
Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain issued the order on May 14, 2025.
The detailed version
- Friedeberg v. G.E. Corporation · No. 1:24-cv-09774
- Andrew Carter
- May 14, 2025
Background
Donna L. Friedeberg filed this civil action against G.E. Corporation without a lawyer. She submitted a complaint but did not pay the fees required to start the action and did not submit an application to proceed without prepaying those fees. The complaint also did not contain her signature.
Fees
The court explained that starting a civil action requires either payment of $405—consisting of a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee—or a signed application to proceed without prepayment of fees. The court directed Friedeberg, within 30 days of the order, to pay the $405 or submit the attached application. If the court grants that application, she may proceed without prepaying the fees.
Signature
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(a) requires an unrepresented party to personally sign a pleading. Because Friedeberg’s complaint was unsigned, the court directed her to sign and submit the attached signature page within 30 days.
Order and effect
No summons or answer will issue at this time. If Friedeberg complies with the order, the Clerk’s Office will process the case under its procedures. If she does not comply within the allowed time, the action will be dismissed without prejudice. The court also certified that an appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for an appeal.
Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain signed the order.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.