Weitz v. Social Security Administration
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-03817
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Weitz v. Social Security Administration, Chief Judge Swain ordered payment of $405 or an IFP application within 30 days.
Theodore Weitz, whose action will not proceed unless he pays the required fees or submits a completed and signed application to proceed without prepaying them.
What happened
In Weitz v. Social Security Administration, Theodore Weitz submitted this action by email, and the court assigned it a docket number. The order did not address the underlying claims.
The court required Weitz, within 30 days, either to pay $405 in fees or submit a completed and signed application to proceed without paying the fees upfront. Until one of those steps occurs, the court will take no further action, and no summons or answer will be required.
Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered that the action will be dismissed without prejudice to refiling if Weitz does not comply or request more time. The court also denied permission to appeal without paying fees because it certified that an appeal would not be taken in good faith.
The detailed version
- Weitz v. Social Security Administration · No. 1:25-cv-03817
- Laura Swain
- May 20, 2025
Background
Theodore Weitz submitted this civil action to the court by email. The court issued an order addressing the filing fee and the option to apply to proceed without prepaying fees. The opinion does not discuss the substance of Weitz’s claims against the Social Security Administration.
Requirements
The court stated that a civil action requires payment of $405, consisting of a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee, or a request for authorization to proceed without prepayment of fees through a signed application. Within 30 days of the order, Weitz must either pay the fees or complete, sign, and submit the attached application. The order describes acceptable payment methods and instructions for payment.
No further action will be taken, and no summons will issue or answer will be required, until the fees are paid or a completed and signed application is received. If the application is granted, Weitz may proceed without prepaying the fees.
Ruling
Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered Weitz to pay the fees or submit the application within the stated period. If Weitz fails to comply or fails to request an extension, the action will be dismissed without prejudice to refiling. The court also certified that any appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.