Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_18-cv-01873/USCOURTS-casd-3_18-cv-01873-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 864
Nature of Suit: Social Security - SSID Title XVI
Cause of Action: 42:0402 Social Security Benefits

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18CV1873 LAB (JMA)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

TANYA GEANNA MACLEOD, 

Plaintiff,

v. 

NANCY A. BERRYHILL, Acting 

Commissioner of Social Security, 

Defendant.

Case No.: 18CV1873 LAB (JMA) 

ORDER GRANTING MOTION 

FOR LEAVE TO PROCEED IN 

FORMA PAUPERIS 

[ECF No. 3] 

I. Background 

 Plaintiff Tanya Geanna Macleod, with counsel, has filed a complaint 

requesting judicial review of Defendant’s decision denying Plaintiff’s claim for 

disability insurance benefits. ECF No. 1. Plaintiff did not prepay the civil filing 

fee required by 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a) at the time of the filing, but instead filed a 

Motion to Proceed in Forma Pauperis (“IFP”) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915. ECF 

No. 3. For the following reasons, the Court GRANTS Plaintiff’s motion to 

proceed IFP. 

II. Discussion 

 All parties instituting any civil action, suit, or proceeding in a district court of 

the United States, except an application for writ of habeas corpus, must pay a 

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18CV1873 LAB (JMA)

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filing fee of $400. See 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a). An action may proceed despite a 

plaintiff’s failure to prepay the entire fee only if she is granted leave to proceed 

IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). See Andrews v. Cervantes, 493 F.3d 1047, 

1051 (9th Cir. 2007); Rodriguez v. Cook, 169 F.3d 1176, 1177 (9th Cir. 1999). A 

court may authorize the commencement of a suit without prepayment of fees if 

the plaintiff submits an affidavit, including a statement of all of her assets, 

showing that she is unable to pay the fees. See 28 U.S.C. §1915(a). Such an 

affidavit must include a complete statement of the plaintiff’s assets. See id. 

 Here, Plaintiff submitted an affidavit reporting that she has not worked 

since 2008. Her spouse is self-employed, earning $2,200 per month. ECF No. 3 

at 1, 2, 5. Plaintiff receives food stamps in the amount of $470 a month. Id. at 4. 

Plaintiff’s spouse has $59.00 in his checking account. Id. at 2. Plaintiff and her 

spouse do not own any real estate, motor vehicles, or other assets. Id. at 3. 

Plaintiff and her spouse’s monthly expenses, which include rent, utilities, food, 

laundry, and life insurance, amount to a total of approximately $2,105. Id. at 4-5. 

Because Plaintiff lacks substantial assets and because her and her spouse’s 

expenses are essentially equivalent to her spouse’s total monthly income, 

Plaintiff has sufficiently demonstrated that she is unable to pay the required filing 

fee and that she meets the requirements to proceed IFP. See Adkins v. E.I. 

DuPont de Nemours & Co., 335 U.S. 331, 335 (1948) (litigants need not pay “the 

last dollar they have” to enjoy the benefit of the IFP statute). 

III. Conclusion 

 Plaintiff’s Motion for Leave to Proceed in Forma Pauperis is GRANTED. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: August 22, 2018 

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