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S.D.N.Y.Procedural orderFiled Oct. 29, 2025

NATHANIEL PEREZ GONZALEZ v. THE CITY OF NEW YORK; NYPD

Judge
Laura Swain
Docket
1:25-cv-08978
Court
U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
Pages
2
Civil Procedure
In one sentence

In Nathaniel Perez Gonzalez v. City of New York, Judge Swain ordered payment or an application to proceed without fees before the case can continue.

Who this affects

Nathaniel Perez Gonzalez must pay the required fees or submit a signed application within 30 days for the case to proceed. Esther Perez is not treated as a plaintiff unless she signs the complaint and submits her own application, if needed.

What happened

In Nathaniel Perez Gonzalez v. City of New York, the court ordered Nathaniel Perez Gonzalez to pay $405 in fees or submit a signed application to proceed without paying those fees. He has 30 days from the order’s date to comply.

The court will not take further action, issue a summons, or require an answer until it receives payment or a completed application. The court also treated Nathaniel Perez Gonzalez as the sole plaintiff because Esther Perez did not sign the complaint; Esther Perez would have to sign and submit her own application if she intends to proceed.

Judge Swain ordered that failure to comply, or to request more time, will result in dismissal without prejudice to refiling. The court also denied permission to proceed without fees for any appeal, certifying that an appeal would not be taken in good faith.

The detailed version

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

Case
NATHANIEL PEREZ GONZALEZ v. THE CITY OF NEW YORK; NYPD · No. 1:25-cv-08978
Judge
Laura Swain
Date
Oct. 29, 2025

What the Order Requires

The action was submitted to the court by email. The court explained that a plaintiff starting a civil action must either pay the required fees or request permission to proceed without prepaying them by submitting a signed application. The total required payment is $405: a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee.

Within 30 days of the order, Nathaniel Perez Gonzalez must either pay the $405 or submit a completed and signed application to proceed without prepaying fees. The court stated that no further action will be taken, no summons will issue, and no answer will be required until payment is made or a completed and signed application is received. If the application is granted, the plaintiff may proceed without prepaying the fees.

Parties Listed in the Caption

Although Esther Perez appears in the caption, she did not sign the complaint. The court therefore treated Nathaniel Perez Gonzalez as the sole plaintiff. The order states that Esther Perez must sign the complaint and submit her own application, if needed, if she intends to proceed.

Disposition

The court ordered that if Nathaniel Perez Gonzalez fails to comply within the allowed time, or fails to request an extension of time, the action will be dismissed without prejudice to refiling. The court also certified that an appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for purposes of an appeal. The order does not address the underlying claims against the defendants.

The authoritative version

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

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