Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01815/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01815-3/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Commissioner of Social Security
Defendant
Erica Valero
Plaintiff

Document Text:

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ERICA VALERO,

Plaintiff,

vs.

CAROLYN W. COLVIN, Acting 

Commissioner of Social Security,

Defendant.

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Case No.: 1:13-cv-01815-SKO

STIPULATION AND ORDER FOR 

THE AWARD AND PAYMENT OF 

ATTORNEY FEES AND 

EXPENSES PURSUANT TO THE 

EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE 

ACT, 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d) AND 

COSTS PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1920

TO THE HONORABLE SHEILA K. OBERTO, MAGISTRATE JUDGE 

OF THE DISTRICT COURT:

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED, by and between the parties through their 

undersigned counsel, subject to the approval of the Court, that Erica Valero be 

awarded attorney fees and expenses in the amount of three thousand four hundred

dollars ($4,900.00) under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), 28 U.S.C. 

§ 2412(d), and costs in the amount of sixty dollars ($60.00) under 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1920. This amount represents compensation for all legal services rendered on 

behalf of Plaintiff by counsel in connection with this civil action, in accordance 

with 28 U.S.C. §§ 1920; 2412(d). 

After the Court issues an order for EAJA fees to Erica Valero, the 

government will consider the matter of Erica Valero’s assignment of EAJA fees to 

Young Cho. Pursuant to Astrue v. Ratliff, 130 S.Ct. 2521, 2529 (2010), the ability 

to honor the assignment will depend on whether the fees are subject to any offset 

Case 1:13-cv-01815-SKO Document 20 Filed 06/08/15 Page 1 of 3
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allowed under the United States Department of the Treasury’s Offset Program.

After the order for EAJA fees is entered, the government will determine whether 

they are subject to any offset.

Fees shall be made payable to Erica Valero, but if the Department of the 

Treasury determines that Erica Valero does not owe a federal debt, then the 

government shall cause the payment of fees, expenses and costs to be made 

directly to Law Offices of Lawrence D. Rohlfing, pursuant to the assignment 

executed by Steven Edward Felipe. United States v. $186,416.00, 722 F.3d 1173, 

1176 (9th Cir. 2013) ($186,416.00 II) (ordering fees paid to counsel because of an 

assignment that did not interfere with a raised superior lien).1 Any payments made 

shall be delivered to Vijay J. Patel.

This stipulation constitutes a compromise settlement of Erica Valero’s 

request for EAJA attorney fees, and does not constitute an admission of liability on 

the part of Defendant under the EAJA or otherwise. Payment of the agreed amount 

shall constitute a complete release from, and bar to, any and all claims that Erica

 

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 The Commissioner does not stipulate to the citation of $186,416.00 II, and 

will not participate in representing to this Court that it carries legal import in these 

proceedings. $186,416 II involved a different statute and very different factual 

circumstances than those presented here, or in other Social Security cases. 

Because the parties have agreed to the payment of EAJA fees, and the amount, and 

to avoid motion practice solely related to Plaintiff’s citation, the Commissioner 

agrees to this stipulation. The Commissioner reserves the right to challenge the 

applicability of $186,416 II to any Social Security case, and this Stipulation should 

not be construed as a waiver of such reservation.

 Steven Felipe contends that U.S. v. $186,416.00 in U.S. Currency, 642 F.3d 

753, 757 (9th Cir. 2011) ($186,416.00 I) held that there is no functional difference 

between the CAFRA and EAJA in terms of "ownership" of the fee.

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Valero and/or Vijay J. Patel including Law Offices of Lawrence D. Rohlfing may 

have relating to EAJA attorney fees in connection with this action. 

This award is without prejudice to the rights of Young Cho and/or the Law 

Offices of Lawrence D. Rohlfing to seek Social Security Act attorney fees under 

42 U.S.C. § 406(b), subject to the savings clause provisions of the EAJA.

DATE: March 12, 2015 Respectfully submitted,

 LAW OFFICES OF LAWRENCE D. ROHLFING

/s/ Young Cho

 BY: __________________

 Young Cho

 Attorney for plaintiff Steven Edward Felipe

DATE: March 12, 2015 BENJAMIN B. WAGNER

United States Attorney

 

/s/ Jean M. Turk

 

 Jean M. Turk

 Special Assistant United States Attorney 

 Attorneys for Defendant Carolyn W. Colvin, 

Acting Commissioner of Social Security 

 (Per e-mail authorization)

ORDER

Pursuant to the terms of the parties’ stipulation, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED 

that Plaintiff is awarded attorney’s fees and expenses in the amount of $4,960.00

under the EAJA.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: June 8, 2015 /s/ Sheila K. Oberto 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:13-cv-01815-SKO Document 20 Filed 06/08/15 Page 3 of 3