Wright Pride Family Trust v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, NA

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF SOUTH CAROLINA Wright Pride Family Trust, ) C/A: 2:25-5972-RMG-TER by and through Samuel Wright, Trustee, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ORDER ) vs. ) ) J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., ) L & K Recovery, LLC, ) Defendants. ) ___________________________________________ ) This is a civil action brought by a trust as Plaintiff in state court and a notice of removal filed by defendant. This action is also similar to Wright Pride Family Trust vs. JP Morgan Chase, No. 2:25-3377-RMG-TER, which was recommended to be dismissed on June 4, 2025.

Wright Pride Family Trust is hereby apprised that it cannot appear pro se in this civil action. Plaintiff is not an individual and must retain counsel in order to proceed. The United States Supreme Court has stated, “the lower courts have uniformly held that 28 U.S.C. § 1654, providing that ‘parties may plead and conduct their own cases personally or by counsel,’ does not allow corporations, partnerships, or associations to appear in federal court otherwise than through a licensed attorney.” Rowland v. Calif. Men’s Colony, 506 U.S. 194, 202 (1993) (citations omitted).

“A trustee cannot represent a trust pro se in federal court.” Corley v. Leach, No. 2:23-cv-04935- BHH-MHC, 2024 WL 1558609, at *3 (D.S.C. Mar. 19, 2024), report and recommendation adopted, 2024 WL 1557094 (D.S.C. Apr. 10, 2024)(collecting cases). Public records show trustee Samuel Wright is not an attorney.

It necessarily follows from the jurisprudence prohibiting pro se representation that any pleading filed by a lay person must be disregarded as a nullity if counsel is not retained by the trust. If no counsel is retained, this action may not proceed further. Counsel shall file a Notice of Appearance in this action within 30 days from the date of this order.

IT IS SO ORDERED. s/ Thomas E. Rogers, III June 20, 2025 Thomas E. Rogers, III Florence , South Carolina United States Magistrate Judge