Baxter v. Cash App
- Katharine Parker
- 1:25-cv-05876
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 3
In Baxter v. Cash App, Judge Parker ordered the Clerk to issue a summons and have Marshals serve Cash App.
Charles Baxter, Cash App, the Clerk of Court, and the U.S. Marshals Service are affected. The Clerk and Marshals Service are directed to take steps to serve Cash App.
What happened
In Baxter v. Cash App, Charles Baxter, who is detained at West Facility on Rikers Island, filed the action without a lawyer. He alleges that Cash App blocked access to his account after his monthly Social Security benefits were deposited there.
The court had already allowed Baxter to proceed without paying court fees upfront. Because of that permission, the court said the Clerk must issue a summons and the U.S. Marshals Service must serve Cash App.
Judge Katharine H. Parker ordered the Clerk to send Baxter an information package, prepare the service paperwork, issue the summons, and give the documents to the Marshals Service. The order also sets the service period at 90 days after the summons is issued.
The detailed version
- Baxter v. Cash App · No. 1:25-cv-05876
- Katharine Parker
- Aug. 22, 2025
Background
Charles Baxter brings this action without a lawyer. The opinion states that he is detained at West Facility on Rikers Island. Baxter alleges that his monthly benefits from the Social Security Administration were deposited with Cash App, a financial services platform, but that Cash App blocked his account and prevented him from accessing the funds.
In an order dated August 18, 2025, the court granted Baxter permission to proceed without prepaying filing fees. The opinion explains that people granted this permission are entitled to assistance from the court and the U.S. Marshals Service in serving the defendant. It also notes that prisoners must still pay the full filing fee over time under the applicable statute.
Court’s Action
The court ordered the Clerk of Court to mail Baxter an information package, issue a summons for Cash App, complete a U.S. Marshals Service Process Receipt and Return form with Cash App’s service address, and deliver the necessary documents to the Marshals Service. The service address listed in the order is 1955 Broadway, Suite 600, Oakland, California 94612.
The court extended the time for service to 90 days after the summons issues because Baxter could not serve Cash App until the court reviewed the complaint and ordered the summons issued. The court stated that Baxter should request an extension if service is not completed within that period. It also directed Baxter to notify the court in writing if his address changes and warned that the action may be dismissed if he does not do so.
This order concerns service of the complaint and does not decide whether Baxter’s allegations against Cash App are legally valid.
Read the full 3-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.