Ghosh v. New York City Housing Authority
- Lewis Liman
- 1:25-cv-04509
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Ghosh v. New York City Housing Authority, Judge Swain ordered payment or a corrected fee-waiver application before the case could proceed.
Shyamal Ghosh, who must either pay the required fees or submit a complete amended application within 30 days for the case to proceed.
What happened
Ghosh v. New York City Housing Authority was filed by Shyamal Ghosh without a lawyer. The court said a civil case requires either $405 in fees or a signed application asking to proceed without paying fees in advance. Ghosh submitted an incomplete application.
The court gave Ghosh 30 days to pay the fees or submit a corrected application on the court’s form. No summons will be issued yet, and the case will move forward only if Ghosh complies with the order. If Ghosh does not comply, the action will be dismissed without prejudice.
Judge Swain also ruled that an appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without paying appeal fees. This order did not decide the underlying claims.
The detailed version
- Ghosh v. New York City Housing Authority · No. 1:25-cv-04509
- Lewis Liman
- May 30, 2025
Background
Shyamal Ghosh brought this action against the New York City Housing Authority and other defendants without a lawyer. To begin a civil action in the Southern District of New York, a plaintiff must either pay $405 in fees—$350 for filing and $55 for administration—or submit a signed application requesting permission to proceed without paying fees in advance.
Ghosh submitted the complaint with an application that did not include all the information requested on the court’s application form.
Order
The court ordered Ghosh, within 30 days of May 30, 2025, to either pay the $405 in fees or submit an amended application using the court’s form. The amended application must include docket number 25-CV-4509 (LTS). If the court grants that application, Ghosh may proceed without paying the fees in advance.
No summons will issue at this time. If Ghosh complies with the order, the Clerk’s Office will process the case under its procedures. If Ghosh does not comply within the allowed time, the action will be dismissed without prejudice, meaning the order does not bar a later filing on that basis.
Appeal and Effect
Judge Laura Taylor Swain certified under federal law that an appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without paying fees for an appeal. The order addresses filing-fee requirements and does not decide the merits of Ghosh’s claims.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.