Blanco v. Pels
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-05435
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Blanco v. Pels, Judge Swain ordered Blanco to pay the fees or submit a complete application to proceed without prepaying them.
Carlita Blanco, the plaintiff proceeding without a lawyer, and the defendants named in the action.
What happened
Carlita Blanco filed Blanco v. Pels without a lawyer and asked to proceed without paying court fees. The court said a civil case requires either payment of $405 or a signed application requesting permission to proceed without prepayment.
The court found Blanco’s application incomplete. Although she stated that she had no income, she did not explain how she paid her expenses and left blank questions about her expenses, assets, and debts. The court therefore could not determine whether she could pay the fees.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered Blanco to pay the fees or submit an amended, complete application. The court did not issue a summons at this time and said the action will be dismissed if she does not comply within the allowed time.
The detailed version
- Blanco v. Pels · No. 1:25-cv-05435
- Laura Swain
- July 1, 2025
Background
Carlita Blanco brought this civil action pro se, meaning without a lawyer. She submitted an application to proceed without prepaying the filing fees under 28 U.S.C. § 1915. The court explained that proceeding in this way requires a signed application providing enough information about the plaintiff’s financial circumstances.
Court’s Analysis
Blanco’s application stated that she had no source of income, but she did not answer how she was paying her expenses. She also left blank the questions about her expenses, assets, and debts. Because the application did not provide a full accounting of her finances, the court could not determine whether she could pay the fees.
Order
The court directed Blanco either to pay $405—the $350 filing fee and $55 administrative fee—or to submit an amended application with the missing financial information. No summons shall issue at this time. The action will be dismissed if Blanco does not comply within the allowed time. The court also certified that an appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for an appeal.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.