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S.D.N.Y.Procedural orderFiled Oct. 23, 2025

Doe v. New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development

Full caption

John Doe v. New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development; SSVF Provider

Judge
Laura Swain
Docket
1:25-cv-08690
Court
U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
Pages
2
Civil ProcedurePro Se
In one sentence

In John Doe v. New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Judge Swain ordered payment or an IFP application within 30 days.

Who this affects

John Doe is required to pay the filing and administrative fees or submit an application to proceed without prepaying fees; the defendants are not subject to a merits ruling in this order.

What happened

John Doe filed this action against the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and SSVF Provider without a lawyer. He submitted the complaint without paying the required fees or providing an application to proceed without paying them upfront.

The court ordered John Doe, within 30 days, to either pay $405 or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying fees. No summons will be issued at this time, and the case will be processed if he complies.

Judge Laura Taylor Swain also stated that failing to comply would result in dismissal without prejudice. She certified that an appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees.

The detailed version

For law students, journalists, and other readers who want the full reasoning

Case
Doe v. New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development · No. 1:25-cv-08690
Judge
Laura Swain
Date
Oct. 23, 2025

Background

John Doe filed this civil action without a lawyer. The complaint named the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and SSVF Provider as defendants. The opinion states that John Doe did not provide the $405 required to begin a civil action in this court and did not submit an application to proceed without prepaying fees.

Order

The court directed John Doe, within 30 days of the order, to either pay $405—consisting of a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee—or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying fees. The court explained that, if it grants the application, John Doe may proceed without prepaying the fees. The application should identify docket number 25-CV-8690 (LTS).

No summons will issue at this time. If John Doe complies, 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 without prejudice. The opinion also states that John Doe did not provide an address of record or consent to electronic service.

Appeal-related ruling

The court certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that an appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith. It therefore denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees. The order was signed by Chief United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.

The authoritative version

Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.

Open opinion PDF →
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