Steadman v. Citigroup Global Markets Holdings, Inc.
- Paul Gardephe
- 1:21-cv-02430
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Steadman v. Citigroup, Judge McMahon ordered payment of $402 or an application to proceed without prepaying fees, and warned the case would be dismissed for noncompliance.
Patricia Steadman and Patricia Steadman Ltd.; the order also affects the pending action against Citigroup Global Markets Holdings, Inc.
What happened
In Steadman v. Citigroup Global Markets Holdings, Inc., Patricia Steadman filed a lawsuit for herself and Patricia Steadman Ltd. without paying the required fees or submitting an application to proceed without prepaying them.
The court ordered Patricia Steadman, within 30 days, to pay $402 or submit a signed application showing why she should be allowed to proceed without prepaying fees. The court also stated that Patricia Steadman Ltd. could proceed only through a lawyer.
Chief Judge Colleen McMahon ordered that no summons issue yet and warned that the case would be dismissed if the requirements were not met on time. The court also denied permission to appeal without paying fees, finding that any appeal would not be taken in good faith.
The detailed version
- Steadman v. Citigroup Global Markets Holdings, Inc. · No. 1:21-cv-02430
- Paul Gardephe
- Mar. 25, 2021
Background
Patricia Steadman brought the action pro se, meaning without a lawyer, on behalf of herself and Patricia Steadman Ltd. The complaint was submitted without the required filing and administrative fees and without an application to proceed without prepaying fees.
Order
The court directed Patricia Steadman, within 30 days of the order, to do one of two things: pay $402 in fees, consisting of a $350 filing fee and a $52 administrative fee, or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying fees. Any application was to identify docket number 21-CV-2430 (CM). If the court granted the application, Patricia Steadman would be allowed to proceed without prepaying the fees.
The court also stated that Patricia Steadman Ltd. could proceed only if represented by a lawyer. The opinion discusses the rule that artificial entities such as corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies generally may not appear in federal court without licensed counsel; it does not clearly identify Patricia Steadman Ltd.'s legal form.
Disposition
The court ordered that no summons issue at that time. It stated that the action would be processed through the Clerk's Office if the filing requirements were satisfied, but that the action would be dismissed if Patricia Steadman failed to comply within the permitted time. The court also certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that an appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees. This order did not decide the underlying claims against Citigroup Global Markets Holdings, Inc.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.