Severson, Paula et al v. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI et al

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN
PAULA MARIE SEVERSON and
CHARLES LEROY SEVERSON,
Plaintiffs, 	ORDER
v. 	Case No. 25-cv-942-wmc
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN et al.,
Defendants.
Plaintiffs Paula Marie Severson and Charles Leroy Severson have filed a civil complaint
against the University of Wisconsin, University Health Services, the University of Wisconsin
Police Department, and several individual defendants. Plaintiffs seek to commence this lawsuit
without prepaying the filing fee. See dkt. 8. Plaintiffs' motion is DENIED, as noted below.
ORDER
Plaintiff Paula Severson is not working due to an injury, and receives, or has received,
only a few hundred dollars from her former employer, USPS. Plaintiff Charles Severson reports
after-tax income of $1,230 every other week. In determining whether a person is indigent, the
court considers total household income, not after-tax income, but income is not the only factor.
The court also considers expenses, dependents, and whether plaintiffs have additional assets or
resources, such as savings, real estate, or retirement accounts. The Seversons have a substantial
amount in savings — an amount that vastly exceeds what the court sees from other plaintiffs
claiming indigence. The court cannot find that these plaintiffs are indigent, or that they lack
the means to pay the fee to commence this action. Accordingly, plaintiffs' motion for leave to
proceed without prepaying the filing fee must be denied.
Case: 3:25-cv-00942-wmc Document #: 10 Filed: 11/25/25 Page 1 of 2

IT IS ORDERED:
1. 	Plaintiffs' motion for leave to proceed without prepaying the $405 civil filing fee
is DENIED. Paula Marie Severson and Charles Leroy Severson may have until December 23,
2025, to pay the filing fee to commence this action.
2. 	If plaintiffs fail to pay the fee by December 23, 2025, or fail to explain why they
cannot pay the fee as ordered, then I will assume that plaintiffs wish to withdraw this action
voluntarily. In that event, the case will be dismissed without prejudice. If plaintiffs submit the
filing fee within 30 days of dismissal, their case will be reopened. The court will not reopen the
case after 30 days unless plaintiffs show that they are entitled to relief under Federal Rule of
Civil Procedure 60(b).
Entered this 25th day of November, 2025.
BY THE COURT:
/s/
ANDREW R. WISEMAN
U.S. Magistrate Judge
Case: 3:25-cv-00942-wmc Document #: 10 Filed: 11/25/25 Page 2 of 2