Scales v. Zelle
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-05453
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 4
In Scales v. Zelle, Chief Judge Swain ordered the pro se plaintiff to pay fees or apply to proceed without prepaying them within 30 days.
The pro se plaintiff who filed the action, identified in the caption as William Scales and others.
What happened
In Scales v. Zelle, the plaintiff filed a civil action without paying the required fees or submitting an application to proceed without prepaying them. The court explained that the total filing and administrative fees are $405.
The plaintiff must, within 30 days of the order, either pay the fees or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying them. The court will not issue a summons yet. If the plaintiff does not comply, the action will be dismissed.
Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain also ruled that an appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees.
The detailed version
- Scales v. Zelle · No. 1:25-cv-05453
- Laura Swain
- July 9, 2025
Background
The caption identifies William Scales and others as plaintiffs, and the order states that Plaintiff brought the action without a lawyer. The complaint was submitted without the required filing fees and without an application to proceed without prepaying fees, commonly called an IFP application.
Court’s Order
The court explained that proceeding with a civil action requires payment of $405: a $350 filing fee plus a $55 administrative fee. Within 30 days of the order, Plaintiff must either pay the $405 or submit a signed IFP application. If the court grants the application, Plaintiff may proceed without prepaying the fees.
The court directed that no summons issue at this time. If Plaintiff complies, the Clerk’s Office will process the case under its procedures. If Plaintiff does not comply within the allowed time, the action will be dismissed.
Appeal
Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain certified that an appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied IFP status for purposes of an appeal.
Read the full 4-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.