2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 3-13-2009 

# D a vid B oniell a v

. C omm S o c i al S ecurity P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 08-1642

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Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

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w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " D a vid Boniell a v

. C omm S oc i al S e c urity " (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1742. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/1742NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

___________ N o. 08- 1642

___________ DAVI D B ONI E L L A,

A ppel l ant v . CO M M I SS I ON ER SOCI AL SECU RI TY

____________________________________ O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt f o r th e W e ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . C i vi l A ct i on N o. 07- 1314) M a g istra te J u d g e : H o n o ra b le R o b e rt C . M itch e ll

____________________________________ Subm i tt ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

M ar ch 13, 2009 B efor e: FI SH E R , J O R D A N and V A N A N T W E R PE N , C i r cui tJ udges

( O pi ni on fi l ed: M ar ch 13, 2009 )

___________ OP I NI ON

___________ P E R C UR I AM P ro se a p p e llan t D a v id B o n iella c h a llen g e s th e D istric t C o u rt’s d ism iss a l o f h is compl ai ntunderR ul e 4( m ) of the Feder al R ul es of Feder al Pr ocedur e. Forthe r eas ons b e lo w , w e w ill v a c a te th e D is tr ic t C o u rt ’s o rd e r a n d re m a n d f o r f u rt h e r p ro c e e d in g s .2 I . B oni el l a fi l ed a mot i on t o pr ocee d i n form a paupe r i s i n t he W es t ern D i s t r i ctof Penns y l vani a on Sept ember28, 2007. T he D i s t r i ctC our t , on O ct ober2, 2007, ent er ed an o rde r gra n ti n g the in fo rm a p au p eris m o ti o n an d o rde ri n g the c lerk to f il e B o n iel la’s co m p lai n t aga inst th e S o cial S ec u ri tyC o m m issi o n er. B o n iel la so u g h t th e D istri ct C o u rt ’s re v iew o f

th e S o c ial S e c u rityC o m m iss io n e r’s f in a l d e ter m in a tio n d isa llo w in g h is c laim fordi s abi l i t ybenef

i t s . See 42 U . S. C . § 405( g) . T he ca s e pr ocee ded as B oni el l a fi l ed s e v e r a l mo t i o n s a n d c o n s e n t e d t o t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n o f th e M a g i s t r a t e J u d g e u n d e r2 8 U. S . C. § 636. O n N ovember8, 2007, t he U . S. A t t orney ’ s O ffi ce f i l ed a not i ce of

appea r ance , w h ich a lso stated that ith ad n o t bee n p rop erlyserv ed w ith the c o m p lai n t or su m m o n s. In Jan u ary2 0 0 8 , the U . S . A tt o rne y ’s O ff ice a lso c o n sen ted to the M ag istrate Ju d g e’s ju ri s d ic tio n . O n February5, 2008, t he M agi s t r at e J udge i s s ued an or derunderFeder al R ul e of C i vi l Pr ocedur e 4( m ) r equi r i ng B oni el l a t o s how caus e as t o w hythe ca s e s houl d notbe di s m i s s ed forfai l ur e t o s erve the def endantw i t hi n 120 day s of fi l i ng the compl ai nt . T he D i s tr i ctC our tdi d notr ece i ve B oni el l a’ s r es pons e unt i l February29th, byw hi ch t i m e the M agi s tr at e J udge had i s s ued an or der( on February27th) di s m i s s i ng the compl ai nt w i thoutpr ej udi ce unde rR ul e 4( m ) . B oni el l a t i m el yappea l ed. II. W e have j ur i s di ct i on under28 U . S. C . § 1291 and 28 U . S. C . § 636( c) . A l t houghB oni el l a al s o s eeks ourr evi ew of the C om m i s s i oner ’ s deci s i on r egar di ng 1 d isa b ili tyb e n e f

its. T h e q u e stio n b e f

o re u s o n a p p e a l is w h e th e r th e D istric t C o u rt e rre d in di s m i s s i ng B oni el l a’ s compl ai ntforfai l ur e t o eff ects ervi ce, and w e do notr eac h t he m e rits o f th e c o m p lain t. 3 th e D istric t C o u rt d ism iss e d th is c a se w ith o u t p re ju d ice , w e a re sa tisf

ied th a t ap p e llate ju ri s d ic tio n e x is ts b e c a u s e th e s ta tu te o f lim ita tio n o n B o n ie lla ’s c la im h a s n o w e x p ir e d . See 42 U . S. C . § 405( g) ( s t at i ng t hata compl ai nts eeki ng j udi ci al r evi ew of a de ci s i on by the Soci al Secur i t yC om m i s s i on m us tbe fi l ed w i t hi n s i xtyday s of the dec i s i on oraft er not i ce of the dec i s i on i s m ai l ed) ; B ow en v. C i t yof N ew Y or k, 476 U . S. 467, 478 ( 1986) ( acknow l edgi ng t hat§ 405( g) cons t i tut es a s t atut e of l i m i t at i on) . W e r evi ew a di s m i s s al pur s uantt o R ul e 4( m ) forabus e of di s cr et i on. A yr es v. J acobs & C rum pl ar , P. A . , 99 F. 3d 5 6 5 , 5 6 8 (3d C ir . 1 9 9 6 ). T h e D istric t C o u rt im p ro p e rlyd ism iss e d B o n iella ’s s u it b yc iti n g h is f a ilu re to se rv e p ro c e ss . A s a lit ig a n t p ro c e e d in g in f o rm a p a u p e ris, B o n iella w a s n o t re sp o n sib le fort he s ervi ce of

pr oces s . See 28 U . S. C . § 1915( d) ( “The offi cer s of the courts hal l i s s ue and s erve al l pr oces s [. ] ”) ; s ee a l s o B yr d v. St one, 94 F. 3d 217, 220 ( 6th C i r . 1996) . O nce B oni el l a fi l ed hi s compl ai nt , t he D i s t r i ctC our tw as obl i gat ed t o appoi nta U ni t ed St at es m a rs h a l to e f

f e c t s e rv ic e . F e d . R . C iv . P . 4 (c )( 3 ). F o r th is r ea so n , w e w il l vac ate the D istri ct C o u rt ’s ord er d ism issi n g B o n iel la’s co m p lai n t and rem an d the c ase fo r fu rth er p roc ee d ing s. W e w il l den yA p p ell an t’ s m oti on s for pres um pti ve d i sabi l i t ypay m ents and for sanct i on s and f i nes. 1