Verdejo v. 1199 SEIU
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-08367
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Edward Verdejo v. 1199 SEIU, Chief Judge Swain ordered payment or a completed fee-waiver application within 30 days.
Edward Verdejo must either pay the $405 in fees or submit a complete amended fee-waiver application within 30 days; the action may be dismissed without prejudice if he does not comply.
What happened
Edward Verdejo v. 1199 SEIU concerns Verdejo’s request to bring a civil case without paying court fees in advance. He is representing himself.
The court said his request was incomplete because he did not answer questions about his latest employment and pay, money in checking or savings accounts, and monthly expenses. Without that information, the court could not determine whether he could pay the fees.
The court ordered Verdejo, within 30 days, to pay $405 or submit a complete amended request to proceed without paying the fees in advance. No summons will issue yet, and Chief Judge Swain said the action will be dismissed without prejudice if he does not comply.
The detailed version
- Verdejo v. 1199 SEIU · No. 1:25-cv-08367
- Laura Swain
- Oct. 14, 2025
Background
Edward Verdejo brought the action representing himself. To proceed in federal court, he must either pay $405 in filing and administrative fees or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying those fees, commonly called an in forma pauperis application.
Verdejo submitted that application, but the court found that his answers were incomplete. Specifically, he did not provide information about his most recent employment and pay, money in checking or savings accounts, or monthly expenses. The court therefore could not determine whether he was unable to pay the required fees.
Order
The court directed Verdejo, within 30 days of the order, either to pay $405 or submit an amended fee-waiver application. The amended application must include a full and complete answer to each question and identify docket number 25-CV-8367 (LTS). If the court grants the amended application, Verdejo may proceed without paying the fees in advance.
The court directed that no summons issue at this time. It stated that the action will be dismissed without prejudice if Verdejo does not comply within the allowed period. The court also certified that an appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith and denied fee-waiver status for an appeal. The order was signed by Laura Taylor Swain, Chief United States District Judge.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.