Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_14-cv-01145/USCOURTS-casd-3_14-cv-01145-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 15:1681 Fair Credit Reporting Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MOSHE D. SHARABI,

BOP Reg. No. 08309-087, Civil No. 14cv1145 GPC (RBB)

Plaintiff, ORDER: 

(1) GRANTING MOTION TO

PROCEED IN FORMA

PAUPERIS, IMPOSING INITIAL

PARTIAL FILING FEE, AND

GARNISHING REMAINING 

BALANCE FROM PRISONER

TRUST ACCOUNT

[ECF Doc. No. 2]

AND

(2) DIRECTING U.S. MARSHAL

TO EFFECT SERVICE UPON

DEFENDANTS PURSUANT 

TO 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d) AND 

FED.R.CIV.P. 4(c)(3)

vs.

MIDLAND FUNDING, LLC;

MIDLAND CREDIT MANAGEMENT,

Inc.,

Defendants.

Moshe D. Sharabi (“Plaintiff”), a federal inmate currently incarcerated at the

Federal Correctional Institution (“FCI”) in Otisville, New York, and proceeding pro se,

has filed a civil action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331, the Fair Credit Reporting Act

(“FCRA”), 15 U.S.C. § 1681, et seq., and the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act

(“FDCPA”), 15 U.S.C. § 1962 et seq. See Compl. at 1. 

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Plaintiff has not prepaid the filing fees required to commence a civil action

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a); instead, he has filed a Motion to Proceed In Forma

Pauperis (“IFP”) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) (ECF Doc. No. 2). 

I. MOTION TO PROCEED IFP

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 filing fee. See

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28 U.S.C. § 1914(a). An action may proceed despite a plaintiff’s failure to prepay the

entire fee only if he is granted leave to proceed IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). See

Rodriguez v. Cook, 169 F.3d 1176, 1177 (9th Cir. 1999). However, if the plaintiff is a

prisoner, and he is granted leave to proceed IFP, he remains obligated to pay the entire

fee in installments and regardless of whether his action is ultimately dismissed. See 28

U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1) & (2); Taylor v. Delatoore, 281 F.3d 844, 847 (9th Cir. 2002).

Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915, as amended by the Prison Litigation Reform Act

(“PLRA”), prisoners seeking leave to proceed IFP must submit a “certified copy of the

trust fund account statement (or institutional equivalent) for the prisoner for the sixmonth period immediately preceding the filing of the complaint.” 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(a)(2); Andrews v. King, 398 F.3d 1113, 1119 (9th Cir. 2005). From the certified

trust account statement, the Court assesses an initial payment of 20% of (a) the average

monthly deposits in the account for the past six months, or (b) the average monthly

balance in the account for the past six months, whichever is greater, unless the prisoner

has no assets. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1); 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(4). The institution

having custody of the prisoner then collects subsequent payments, assessed at 20% of

the preceding month’s income, in any month in which the prisoner’s account exceeds

$10, and forwards those payments to the Court until the entire filing fee is paid. See 28

U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).

 In addition to the $350 statutory fee, all parties filing civil actions on or after May 1, 1

2013, must pay an additional administrative fee of $50. See 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a), (b); Judicial

Conference Schedule of Fees, District Court Misc. Fee Schedule (eff. May 1, 2013). However,

the additional $50 administrative fee is waived if the plaintiff is granted leave to proceed IFP. 

Id.

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The Court finds that Plaintiff has submitted a certified copy of his trust account

statement pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2) and S.D. CAL. CIVLR 3.2. Andrews, 398

F.3d at 1119. Plaintiff’s statement shows an average monthly balance of $143.05,

average monthly deposits of $212.96, and an available balance of $415.15 at the time he

filed his Complaint. Based on thisfinancial information, the Court GRANTS Plaintiff’s

Motion to Proceed IFP (ECF Doc. No. 2) and assesses an initial partial filing fee of

$42.59 pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1).

However, the Warden of FCI Otisville, or his designee, shall collect thisinitial fee

only if sufficient funds in Plaintiff’s account are available at the time this Order is

executed pursuant to the directions set forth below. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(4)

(providing that “[i]n no event shall a prisoner be prohibited from bringing a civil action

or appealing a civil action or criminal judgment for the reason that the prisoner has no

assets and no means by which to pay the initial partial filing fee.”); Taylor, 281 F.3d at

850 (finding that 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(4) acts as a “safety-valve” preventing dismissal

of a prisoner’s IFP case based solely on a “failure to pay . . . due to the lack of funds

available to him when payment is ordered.”). The remaining balance of the $350 total

owed in this case shall be collected and forwarded to the Clerk of the Court pursuant to

the installment payment provisions set forth in 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1).

II. SCREENING PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)

A complaint filed by any person proceeding IFP is subject to an initial review and

sua sponte dismissal by the Court if Plaintiff’s complaint isfound frivolous or malicious,

if it fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or if it seeks monetary relief

from a defendant who is immune. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B); Calhoun v. Stahl, 254

F.3d 845, 845 (9th Cir. 2001) (per curiam) (holding that “the provisions of 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(e)(2)(B) are not limited to prisoners.”); Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1127 (9th

Cir. 2000) (en banc) (“[S]ection 1915(e) not only permits, but requires a district court to

dismiss an in forma pauperis complaint that fails to state a claim.”).

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All complaints must contain “a short and plain statement ofthe claimshowing that

the pleader is entitled to relief.” FED.R.CIV.P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are

not required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by

mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009)

(citing Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). “Determining

whether a complaint states a plausible claim for relief [is] . . . a context-specific task that

requires the reviewing court to draw on its judicial experience and common sense.” Id.

The “mere possibility of misconduct” falls short of meeting this plausibility standard. 

Id. 

“When there are well-pleaded factual allegations, a court should assume their

veracity, and then determine whether they plausibly give rise to an entitlement to relief.” 

Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 679; see also Resnick v. Hayes, 213 F.3d 443, 447 (9th Cir. 2000)

(“[W]hen determining whether a complaint states a claim, a court must accept as true all

allegations of material fact and must construe those facts in the light most favorable to

the plaintiff.”); Barren v. Harrington, 152 F.3d 1193, 1194 (9th Cir. 1998) (noting that

§ 1915(e)(2) “parallels the language of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6)”). The

court “ha[s] an obligation where the petitioner is pro se, . . . to construe the pleadings

liberally and to afford the petitioner the benefit of any doubt.” Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d

338, 342 & n.7 (9th Cir. 2010) (citing Bretz v. Kelman, 773 F.2d 1026, 1027 n.1 (9th Cir.

1985)).

Here, the Court finds Plaintiff’s FCRA and FDCPA claims are sufficient to survive

the initial screening required by 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). See Lopez, 203 F.3d at 1126-

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27. Accordingly, the Court finds Plaintiff is entitled to U.S. Marshal service on his

behalf. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d) (“The officers of the court shall issue and serve all

process, and performall dutiesin [IFP] cases.”); FED.R.CIV.P. 4(c)(3) (“[T]he court may

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Plaintiff is cautioned that “the sua sponte screening and dismissal procedure is 2

cumulative of, and not a substitute for, any subsequent Rule 12(b)(6) motion that [a defendant]

may choose to bring.” Teahan v. Wilhelm, 481 F. Supp. 2d 1115, 1119 (S.D. Cal. 2007). 

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order that service be made by a United States marshal or deputy marshal . . . if the

plaintiff is authorized to proceed in forma pauperis under 28 U.S.C. § 1915.”).

III. CONCLUSION AND ORDER

Good cause appearing, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s Motion to Proceed IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) (ECF

Doc. No. 2) is GRANTED.

2. The Warden of FCI Otisville, or his designee, shall collect from Plaintiff’s

prison trust account the initial filing fee assessed in this Order, if sufficient funds are

available at the time the Order is executed, and in any event shall thereafter forward the

remainder of the total $350 filing fee owed by collecting monthly payments from

Plaintiff’s account in an amount equal to twenty percent (20%) of the preceding month’s

income and shall forward paymentsto the Clerk of the Court each time the amount in the

account exceeds $10 in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2). ALL PAYMENTS

SHALL BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED BY THE NAME AND NUMBER ASSIGNED

TO THIS ACTION.

3. The Clerk of the Court is directed to serve a copy of this Order on Warden,

FCI Otisville, Federal Correctional Institution, P.O. Box 1000, Otisville, New York,

10963.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that:

4. The Clerk shall issue a summons upon Defendants and forward it to

Plaintiff along with blank U.S. Marshal Form 285s for each Defendant. In addition, the

Clerk shall provide Plaintiff with copies of this Order, his Complaint, and the summons

for purposes of serving each Defendant. Upon receipt of this “IFP Package,” Plaintiff

is directed to complete the USM Form 285s as completely and accurately as possible,

and to return them to the United States Marshal according to the instructions provided

by the Clerk in the letter accompanying his IFP package. Thereafter, the U.S. Marshal

shall serve a copy of the Complaint and summons upon the Defendants as directed by 

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Plaintiff on the USM Form 285s. All costs of service shall be advanced by the United

States. 

5. Plaintiff shall serve upon Defendants or, if appearance has been entered by

counsel, upon Defendants’ counsel, a copy of every further pleading or other document

submitted for consideration of the Court. Plaintiff shall include with the original paper

to be filed with the Clerk of the Court a certificate stating the manner in which a true and

correct copy of any document wasserved on Defendants, or counsel for Defendants, and

the date of service. Any paper received by the Court which has not been filed with the

Clerk or which fails to include a Certificate of Service will be disregarded.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: July 24, 2014

HON. GONZALO P. CURIEL

United States District Judge

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