Source: https://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/arkansas/arwdce/5:2010cv05207/36042/21
Timestamp: 2017-07-23 03:20:44
Document Index: 174006459

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 405', '§ 2412', '§ 2412', '§ 406', '§ 406', 'art, 535', '§ 3', '§ 2', '§ 2412', 'art, 461', '§ 2412', '§\n2412', '§ 2412', '§ 1915', 'art, 2004', '§ 1920', '§\n1915', '§ 1920']

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER on Attorney Fees in favor of Tiffany Chandler against Social Security Administration Commissioner in the amount of $3,095 for Chandler v. Social Security Administration Commissioner :: Justia Dockets & Filings Log In
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER on Attorney Fees in favor of Tiffany Chandler against Social Security Administration Commissioner in the amount of $3,095.95. This amount should be paid in addition to, and not out of, any past due benefits which plaintiff may be awarded in the future. Further, any EAJA award by this Court should be made payable to plaintiff and not counsel. Signed by Honorable James R. Marschewski on May 15, 2012. (adw)
CIVIL NO. 10-5207
Access to Justice Act (“EAJA”). ECF No. 18. The Defendant has filed a response to said motion.
The parties have consented to the jurisdiction of a magistrate judge to conduct any and all
proceedings in this case, including conducting the trial, ordering the entry of a final judgment, and
conducting all post-judgment proceedings. ECF No. 5. Pursuant to this authority, the Court issues
Plaintiff, Tiffany Chandler, appealed the Commissioner’s denial of benefits to this court.
On March 6, 2012, an Order was entered remanding the case pursuant to sentence four of 42
U.S.C. § 405(g). ECF No. 17.
On April 23, 2012, plaintiff filed a motion for attorney’s fees and costs under 28 U.S.C.
§ 2412, the Equal Access to Justice Act (hereinafter “EAJA”) requesting $3,188.34 representing
1.83 attorney hours in 2010 at a rate of $173.00 per hour, 13.83 attorney hours in 2011 at a rate
of $174.00, 1.92 attorney hours in 2012 at an hourly rate of $184.00, $27.34 in postage fees, and
$85.00 in copying costs. ECF No. 18, 19. On May 7, 2012, the defendant filed a response
objecting to Plaintiff’s requested hourly rate for 2012 and her request for costs of copies. ECF No.
Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(A), the court must award attorney’s fees to a prevailing
social security claimant unless the Commissioner’s position in denying benefits was substantially
The burden is on the Commissioner to show substantial justification for the
government’s denial of benefits. Jackson v. Bowen, 807 F.2d 127, 128 (8th Cir. 1986). In the
present case, the Commissioner has voiced no objection to the fee amount requested. The court
construes this action and lack of opposition to the award of a reasonable fee as an admission that
the government’s decision to deny benefits was not “substantially justified.” Therefore, we find
plaintiff to be a prevailing party in this matter.
of the case, plaintiff’s attorney may be authorized to charge and collect a fee pursuant to 42 U.S.C.
§ 406(b)(1). Recovery of attorney’s fees under both the EAJA and 42 U.S.C. § 406(b)(1) was
specifically allowed when Congress amended the EAJA in 1985. Gisbrecht v. Barnhart, 535 U.S.
789, 796, 122 S.Ct. 1817, 1822, 152 L.Ed.2d 996 (2002), citing Pub.L. 99-80, § 3, 99 Stat. 186
attorney. Meyers v. Heckler, 625 F.Supp. 228, 231 (S.D.Ohio 1985). Furthermore, awarding fees
under both acts facilitates the purposes of the EAJA, which is to shift to the United States the
prevailing party’s litigation expenses incurred while contesting unreasonable government action.
Id. See also, Cornella v. Schweiker, 728 F.2d 978 (8th Cir. 1984).
resulting to the client from the services; the customary fee for similar services; the contingency or
certainty of compensation; the results obtained; and, the amount involved. Allen v. Heckler, 588
F.Supp. 1247 (W.D.N.Y. 1984).
However, the EAJA is not designed to reimburse without limit. Pierce v. Underwood, 487
U.S. 552, 573 (1988). The district court is “in the best position to evaluate counsel’s services and
fee request, particularly when the court has had the opportunity to observe firsthand counsel’s
representation on the substantive aspects of the disability claim.” Hickey v. Secretary of HHS, 923
F.2d 585, 586 (8th Cir. 1991) (quoting Cotter v. Bowen, 879 F.2d 359, 361 (8th Cir. 1989). The
court can determine the reasonableness and accuracy of a fee request, even in the absence of an
objection by the Commissioner. See Decker v. Sullivan, 976 F.2d 456, 459 (8th Cir.1992)
(“Although the issue was not raised on appeal, fairness to the parties requires an accurately
The Contract with America Advancement Act of 1996, passed on March 29, 1996, amended
the EAJA and increased the statutory ceiling for the EAJA fee awards from $75.00 to $125.00 per
hour. See 28 U.S.C. § 2 412(d)(2)(A). The EAJA further requires an attorney seeking fees to
submit “an itemized statement . . stating the actual time expended and the rate at which fees and
other expenses were computed.” 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(B). Attorneys seeking fees under federal
fee-shifting statutes such as the EAJA are required to present fee applications with
“contemporaneous time records of hours worked and rates claimed, plus a detailed description of
the subject matter of the work.” Id. Where documentation is inadequate, the court may reduce the
award accordingly. Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424, 433 (1983).
Attorney’s fees may not be awarded in excess of $125.00 per hour - the maximum statutory
rate under § 2412(d)(2)(A) - unless the court finds that an increase in the cost of living or a special
factor such as the limited availability of qualified attorneys justifies a higher fee. 28 U.S.C. §
2412(d)(2)(A). The decision to increase the hourly rate is not automatic and remains at the
discretion of the district court. McNulty v. Sullivan, 886 F.2d 1074 (8th Cir. 1989). In Johnson
v. Sullivan, 919 F.2d 503 (8th Cir. 1990), the court stated that the hourly rate may be increased
when there is “uncontested proof of an increase in the cost of living sufficient to justify hourly
attorney’s fees of more than $75.00 an hour,” such as a copy of the Consumer Price Index.
In the present action, Plaintiff’s case was remanded to the SSA. ECF Nos. 16, 17.
Defendant does not contest Plaintiff’s claim that she is the prevailing party, does not oppose her
application for fees under the EAJA, and does not dispute the number of hours expended by
counsel. ECF No. 20. The Court construes this lack of opposition to this application as an
admission that the government’s decision to deny benefits was not “substantially justified” and that
Plaintiff is the prevailing party.
Plaintiff requests that attorney fees be paid at a rate of $173.00 per hour for work
performed in 2010, $174.00 per hour for work performed in 2011, and $184.00 per hour for work
performed in 2012. The hourly rates requested for 2010 and 2011 are authorized by the EAJA
because counsel has submitted proof supporting her request for a higher fee and the rates do not
exceed the CPI for those years. However, the requested hourly rate for 2012 exceeds the CPI for
2012. Therefore, this Court finds that Plaintiff is only entitled to an hourly rate of $180.00 per
attorney hour for work performed in 2012.
Copying Costs:
Defendant objects to Plaintiff’s request for compensation for $85.00 in copying costs
because Plaintiff’s complaint was filed in forma pauperis. ECF No. 16. We note that the EAJA
permits an award of costs against the United States “except as otherwise specifically provided by
statute.” 28 U. S. C. § 2412(a). And, the statute permitting filing in forma pauperis specifically
bars an award of costs against the United States. See 28 U. S. C. § 1915(f)(1); see also Jones v.
Barnhart, 2004 WL 2297857 (E. D. Ark. 2004); Maida v. Callahan, 148 F.3d 190, 193 (2nd Cir.
1998). Therefore, when a Plaintiff proceeds on an in forma pauperis basis, the United States is
not liable for costs which would otherwise be taxable under 28 U. S. C. § 1920. See U. S. C. §
1915(f)(1). Copying costs are specifically enumerated in § 1920. Accordingly, we conclude that
Plaintiff is not entitled to recover the $85.00 her attorney requests for copying costs.
Fee Award:
Plaintiff is entitled to an attorney’s fee award under EAJA in the amount of $3,095.95,
representing 1.83 attorney hours in 2010 at an hourly rate of $173.00, 13.83 attorney hours in 2011
at an hourly rate of $174.00, 1.92 attorney hours in 2012 at an hourly rate of $180.00, and $27.34
in postage expenses.
Pursuant to Astrue v. Ratliff, 130 S.Ct. 2521, 2528 (2010), the EAJA fee award should be
made payable to Plaintiff. However, as a matter of practice, an EAJA fee made payable to Plaintiff
may properly be mailed to Plaintiff’s counsel.
Based upon the foregoing, the Court awards Plaintiff $3,095.95 pursuant to the EAJA, 28