Mott v. Schell
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-05450
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 4
In Mott v. Schell, Judge Swain ordered Ricky Mott to pay $405 or apply to proceed without prepaying fees within 30 days.
Ricky Mott, who must either pay $405 or submit an application to proceed without prepaying fees within 30 days to avoid dismissal of the action; Thomas James Schell is the named defendant.
What happened
Mott v. Schell is a case brought by Ricky Mott, who is representing himself, against Thomas James Schell. The order does not describe the claims.
Mott submitted his complaint without paying the required $405 in filing and administrative fees and without submitting an application to proceed without prepaying fees. The court gave him 30 days to pay the fees or submit the application. No summons will be issued at this time.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered that the case will be processed if Mott complies and will be dismissed if he does not comply within the deadline. She also ruled that Mott may not proceed without prepaying fees for an appeal from this order because any appeal would not be taken in good faith.
The detailed version
- Mott v. Schell · No. 1:25-cv-05450
- Laura Swain
- July 9, 2025
Background
Ricky Mott filed this action against Thomas James Schell while representing himself. The opinion does not identify the claims or explain the dispute between the parties.
To begin a civil case in the Southern District of New York, a plaintiff must either pay $405 in filing and administrative fees or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying fees. Mott submitted the complaint without either paying the fees or providing the application.
Order
The court ordered Mott, within 30 days of the order, to do one of two things: pay the $405 in fees or submit the attached application to proceed without prepaying fees. The application must include docket number 1:25-CV-5450 (LTS). If the court grants the application, Mott may proceed without paying the fees in advance.
No summons will issue at this time. If Mott complies with the order, the Clerk’s Office will process the case under its procedures. If he does not comply within the allowed time, the action will be dismissed.
Appeal
The court certified that an appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for an appeal. The order does not decide the underlying claims.
Read the full 4-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.