Ramirez v. Saul ( 2020 )

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 CELIA RAMIREZ, Case No.: 20-CV-1747-WVG 12 Plaintiff, ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S 13 v. MOTION TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS 14 ANDREW SAUL, Commissioner of Social Security, 15 [Doc. No. 2.] Defendant. 16 17 18 19 Plaintiff files for leave to proceed in forma pauperis on the Complaint. (Doc. No. 2.) 20 The Court reviews Plaintiff’s complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e), as required when a 21 plaintiff files a motion to proceed in forma pauperis. The Court finds that the Complaint 22 sufficiently states a claim for relief. Thus, the Court GRANTS the IFP motion. 23 I. MOTION FOR IFP 24 Plaintiff moves to proceed IFP under 28 U.S.C. § 1915. All parties instituting any 25 civil action, suit, or proceeding in a district court of the United States, except an application 26 for writ of habeas corpus, must pay a filing fee of $400. See 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a). An action 27 may proceed despite a plaintiff’s failure to prepay the entire fee only if the plaintiff is 28 granted leave to proceed IFP under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). See Rodriguez v. Cook, 169 F.3d 1 1176, 1177 (9th Cir. 1999). All actions sought to be filed IFP under § 1915 must be 2 accompanied by an affidavit, signed by the applicant under penalty of perjury, that includes 3 a statement of all assets which shows inability to pay initial fees or give security. CivLR 4 3.2.a. 5 Plaintiff’s only source of income is $1,477 per month in disability payments and 6 $1,058 per month in other unspecified income. (Doc. No. 2 at 2.) However, her expenses 7 add up to $3,220 per month. (Id. at 5.) Thus, her resulting net income is negative $685 per 8 month. She also states she has not been employed within the past twelve months and has 9 no assets other than a 2009 Honda CRV vehicle worth roughly $1,500 and $300 in a 10 checking account. The Court finds that Plaintiff has sufficiently shown an inability to pay 11 the filing fee. 12 II. SCREENING UNDER 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e) 13 Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), when reviewing an IFP motion, the Court must rule 14 on its own motion to dismiss before the complaint is served. Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 15 1127 (9th Cir. 2000). (“[S]ection 1915(e) not only permits but requires a district court to 16 dismiss an in forma pauperis complaint that fails to state a claim.”) The Court must dismiss 17 the complaint if it is frivolous, malicious, failing to state a claim upon which relief may be 18 granted, or seeking monetary relief from a defendant immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. 19 § 1915(e)(2)(B); Calhoun v. Stahl, 254 F.3d 845, 845 (9th Cir. 2001) (per curiam) (noting 20 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B) is “not limited to prisoners”); Lopez, 203 F.3d at 1127 21 (“[§] 1915(e) not only permits but requires a district court to dismiss an [IFP] complaint 22 that fails to state a claim.”). 23 Social security appeals are not exempt from the § 1915(e) screening requirement. 24 Hoagland v. Astrue, No. 12CV973-SMS, 2012 WL 2521753, at *1 (E.D. Cal. June 28, 25 2012); see also Lopez, 203 F.3d at 1129 (“section 1915(e) applies to all in forma pauperis 26 complaints.”). “Every plaintiff appealing an adverse decision of the Commissioner believes 27 that the Commissioner was wrong.” Hoagland, 2012 WL 2521753, at *3. “A complaint 28 merely stating that the Commissioner’s decision was wrong is plainly insufficient to satisfy 1 plaintiff's pleading requirement.” Schwei v. Colvin, No. 15CV1086-JCM-NJK, 2015 WL 2 ||3630961, at *2 (D. Nev. June 9, 2015). Instead, “[a] complaint appealing the 3 ||Commissioner’s denial of disability benefits must set forth a brief statement of facts setting 4 ||forth the reasons why the Commissioner’s decision was wrong.” Hoagland, 2012 WL 5 2521753, at *2 (collecting cases) (emphasis added). 6 Based on the Court’s review of the Complaint, the Court finds Plaintiff has 7 sufficiently (but barely) satisfied the minimal pleading standards above by stating points 8 error she assigns to the ALJ. (See Doc. No. 1 § 7.) 9 Ht. CONCLUSION 10 The motion to proceed IFP is GRANTED. 11 IT IS SO ORDERED. 12 || DATED: September 17, 2020 UA 14 Hon. William V. Gallo 15 United States Magistrate Judge 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28