Daramola v. Dungarvin Incorporated, Minnesota

U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota

Daramola v. Dungarvin Incorporated, Minnesota

Trial Court Opinion

                UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT                            
                   DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA                                

Femi Joseph Daramola,              Civil No. 24-cv-0761 (KMM/DJF)       

              Plaintiff,                                                

v.                                          ORDER                       

Dungarvin Incorporated, Minnesota and                                   
Lura Marrie Solie,                                                      

              Defendants.                                               

   This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff Femi Joseph Daramola’s Application to 
Proceed  in  District  Court  Without  Prepaying  Fees  or  Costs  (ECF  No.  2)  (“IFP 
Application”).  For the following reasons, the Court denies the IFP Application without 
prejudice.                                                                
   “The central question [when assessing an application to proceed in forma pauperis 
(‘IFP’)] is whether the movant can afford the costs of proceeding without undue hardship 
or deprivation of the necessities of life.”  Ayers v. Tex. Dep’t of Crim. Justice, 
70 F.3d 1268
, 1268 (5th Cir. 1995) (per curiam) (citing Adkins v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., 
335 U.S. 331
, 339–40 (1948) (brackets added)); Wilkening v. U.S. Dep’t of Educ., No. 23-
cv-3143 (DWF/TNL), 
2023 WL 8379124
, at *1 (D. Minn. Nov. 1, 2023) (citing cases, 
including Ayers).  Here, there are at least two reasons why the Court cannot conclude that 
proceeding in this matter without an IFP grant would cause Mr. Daramola undue hardship 
or deprive him of life’s necessities.                                     
        •    First, Mr. Daramola answers “N/A” to every substantive question on 
             the template form he submitted to the Court.  (See ECF No. 2 at 1–5.)  
             If Mr. Daramola wants the Court to consider his request to proceed 
             IFP,  he  must  make  a  good-faith  effort  to  provide  the  requested 
             information.  “The opportunity to proceed [IFP] is a privilege, not a 
             right.”  Weaver v. Pung, 
925 F.2d 1097
, 1099 n.4 (8th Cir. 1991) 
             (citing Williams v. McKenzie, 
834 F.2d 152, 154
 (8th Cir. 1987)). 
        •    Second,  it  seems  that  Mr. Daramola’s  responses  to  the  template 
             cannot be correct.  For instance, his “N/A” responses suggest (at most) 
             that he has had no income for the past 12 months and no employment 
             history  for  the  past  two  years.    (See  ECF  No.  2  at  1–2.)    But 
             Mr. Daramola’s complaint in this action indicates he was employed 
             between February 2022 and March 2023. (See ECF No. 1 at 3.)  The 
             allegations in his Complaint and his claims in his IFP application 
             cannot both be true. Furthermore, it is hard to credit Mr. Daramola’s 
             claim that he has no “average monthly expenses” whatsoever.  (ECF 
             No. 2 at 4–5.)                                             
   The Court therefore denies the IFP Application.  This denial is without prejudice—
in other words, Mr. Daramola can file a new IFP application if he wishes (and is willing to 
provide the required financial information).  To assist with this, the Court will order the 
Clerk of Court to send Mr. Daramola a blank copy of the IFP application template. If Mr. 
Darmola does not: (1) file a new IFP application; or (2) file this action’s filing fee on or 
before  March  27,  2024,  the  Court  may  recommend  dismissing  this  matter  without 
prejudice for failure to prosecute.                                       

ORDER

   Based on the foregoing, and on all of the files, records, and proceedings herein, IT 
IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:                                                   
   1.   Plaintiff Femi Joseph Daramola’s Application to Proceed in District Court 
        Without Prepaying Fees or Costs (ECF No. 2) is DENIED without prejudice. 
 2.   Mr. Daramola must either (1) pay this action’s filing fee, or (2) submit a new 
      IFP application on or before March 27, 2024. If he does neither, the Court 
      may recommend dismissing this action under Federal Rule of Civil Proce-
      dure 41(b) for failure to prosecute.                            
 3.   The Clerk of Court shall send Mr. Daramola a copy of this District’s template 
      IFP application (i.e., Form AO 239).                            
Dated: March 6, 2024            s/ Dulce J. Foster                      
                              Dulce J. Foster                         
                              United States Magistrate Judge          

Trial Court Opinion

                UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT                            
                   DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA                                

Femi Joseph Daramola,              Civil No. 24-cv-0761 (KMM/DJF)       

              Plaintiff,                                                

v.                                          ORDER                       

Dungarvin Incorporated, Minnesota and                                   
Lura Marrie Solie,                                                      

              Defendants.                                               

   This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff Femi Joseph Daramola’s Application to 
Proceed  in  District  Court  Without  Prepaying  Fees  or  Costs  (ECF  No.  2)  (“IFP 
Application”).  For the following reasons, the Court denies the IFP Application without 
prejudice.                                                                
   “The central question [when assessing an application to proceed in forma pauperis 
(‘IFP’)] is whether the movant can afford the costs of proceeding without undue hardship 
or deprivation of the necessities of life.”  Ayers v. Tex. Dep’t of Crim. Justice, 
70 F.3d 1268
, 1268 (5th Cir. 1995) (per curiam) (citing Adkins v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., 
335 U.S. 331
, 339–40 (1948) (brackets added)); Wilkening v. U.S. Dep’t of Educ., No. 23-
cv-3143 (DWF/TNL), 
2023 WL 8379124
, at *1 (D. Minn. Nov. 1, 2023) (citing cases, 
including Ayers).  Here, there are at least two reasons why the Court cannot conclude that 
proceeding in this matter without an IFP grant would cause Mr. Daramola undue hardship 
or deprive him of life’s necessities.                                     
        •    First, Mr. Daramola answers “N/A” to every substantive question on 
             the template form he submitted to the Court.  (See ECF No. 2 at 1–5.)  
             If Mr. Daramola wants the Court to consider his request to proceed 
             IFP,  he  must  make  a  good-faith  effort  to  provide  the  requested 
             information.  “The opportunity to proceed [IFP] is a privilege, not a 
             right.”  Weaver v. Pung, 
925 F.2d 1097
, 1099 n.4 (8th Cir. 1991) 
             (citing Williams v. McKenzie, 
834 F.2d 152, 154
 (8th Cir. 1987)). 
        •    Second,  it  seems  that  Mr. Daramola’s  responses  to  the  template 
             cannot be correct.  For instance, his “N/A” responses suggest (at most) 
             that he has had no income for the past 12 months and no employment 
             history  for  the  past  two  years.    (See  ECF  No.  2  at  1–2.)    But 
             Mr. Daramola’s complaint in this action indicates he was employed 
             between February 2022 and March 2023. (See ECF No. 1 at 3.)  The 
             allegations in his Complaint and his claims in his IFP application 
             cannot both be true. Furthermore, it is hard to credit Mr. Daramola’s 
             claim that he has no “average monthly expenses” whatsoever.  (ECF 
             No. 2 at 4–5.)                                             
   The Court therefore denies the IFP Application.  This denial is without prejudice—
in other words, Mr. Daramola can file a new IFP application if he wishes (and is willing to 
provide the required financial information).  To assist with this, the Court will order the 
Clerk of Court to send Mr. Daramola a blank copy of the IFP application template. If Mr. 
Darmola does not: (1) file a new IFP application; or (2) file this action’s filing fee on or 
before  March  27,  2024,  the  Court  may  recommend  dismissing  this  matter  without 
prejudice for failure to prosecute.                                       

ORDER

   Based on the foregoing, and on all of the files, records, and proceedings herein, IT 
IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:                                                   
   1.   Plaintiff Femi Joseph Daramola’s Application to Proceed in District Court 
        Without Prepaying Fees or Costs (ECF No. 2) is DENIED without prejudice. 
 2.   Mr. Daramola must either (1) pay this action’s filing fee, or (2) submit a new 
      IFP application on or before March 27, 2024. If he does neither, the Court 
      may recommend dismissing this action under Federal Rule of Civil Proce-
      dure 41(b) for failure to prosecute.                            
 3.   The Clerk of Court shall send Mr. Daramola a copy of this District’s template 
      IFP application (i.e., Form AO 239).                            
Dated: March 6, 2024            s/ Dulce J. Foster                      
                              Dulce J. Foster                         
                              United States Magistrate Judge          

Reference

Status
Unknown