Taylor v. Alexander et al

Filing 4

ORDER Plaintiff's Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Doc. 2 ) is denied without prejudice. Within 30 days of the date this Order is filed, Plaintiff must either pay the $400.00 filing and administrative fees or file a complete Appli cation to Proceed In Forma Pauperis and a certified six-month trust account statement. If Plaintiff fails to either pay the $400.00 filing and administrative fees or file a complete Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis within 30 days, the Cl erk of Court must enter a judgment of dismissal of this action without prejudice and without further notice to Plaintiff. Within 30 days of the date this Order is filed, Plaintiff must file a completed and signed Certificate, using the Certificate fo rm provided with this Order, certifying that Plaintiff's signature on the Certificate shall serve as an original signature on his Complaint for the purposes Rule 3.4 of the Local Rules of Civil Procedure and Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. If Plaintiff fails to file, within 30 days, a completed and signed Certificate on the form provided with this Order, the Clerk of Court must strike Plaintiff's Complaint and enter a judgment of dismissal of this action without prejud ice and without further notice to Plaintiff. The Clerk of the Court must mail Plaintiff a court-approved form for filing an Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Non-Habeas) and a Certificate form. Signed by Senior Judge Robert C Broomfield on 7/25/2013. (KMG)

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

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Jeffrey Alan Taylor,

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Plaintiff,

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No. CV 13-0983-PHX-RCB (JFM)

vs.

ORDER

Beth Anne Alexander, et al.,

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Defendants.

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On May 9, 2013, Plaintiff Jeffrey Alan Taylor, who is confined in the Fourth

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Avenue Jail in Phoenix, Arizona, filed an unsigned pro se civil rights Complaint pursuant

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to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Doc. 1) and an Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Doc. 2).

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The Court will deny the deficient Application to Proceed and will give Plaintiff 30 days

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to (1) pay the filing and administrative fees or file a complete Application to Proceed In

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Forma Pauperis and (2) to submit a completed and signed Certificate certifying that

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Plaintiff’s signature on the Certificate shall serve as an original signature on his

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Complaint.

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I.

Payment of Filing Fee

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When bringing an action, a prisoner must either pay the $350.00 filing fee and a

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$50.00 administrative fee in a lump sum or, if granted the privilege of proceeding in

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forma pauperis, pay the $350.00 filing fee1 incrementally as set forth in 28 U.S.C.

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Effective May 1, 2013, the Clerks of Court for the United States District Courts
are required to collect a $50.00 administrative fee for the filing of a civil action, suit, or
proceeding in a district court. See Judicial Conference Schedule of Fees, District Court

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§ 1915(b)(1). An application to proceed in forma pauperis requires an affidavit of

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indigence and a certified copy of the inmate’s trust account statement for the six months

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preceding the filing of the Complaint. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). An inmate must submit

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statements from each institution where the inmate was confined during the six-month

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period. Id. To assist prisoners in meeting these requirements, the Court requires use of a

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form application. LRCiv 3.4.

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If a prisoner is granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis, the Court will assess an

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initial partial filing fee of 20% of either the average monthly deposits or the average

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monthly balance in Plaintiff’s account, whichever is greater. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). An

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initial partial filing fee will only be collected when funds exist. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(4).

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The balance of the $ 350.00 filing fee will be collected in monthly payments of 20% of

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the preceding month’s income credited to an inmate’s account, each time the amount in

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the account exceeds $10.00. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).

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II.

Application Fails to Comply With Statute

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Plaintiff has used the court-approved form, but has left blank the “Consent to

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Collection of Fees from Trust Account” section. This part of the in forma pauperis

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application must be filled out, signed, and dated.

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Official as to Status of Applicant’s Trust Account” section is also not completed, and

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Plaintiff has not submitted a certified six-month trust account statement. In light of these

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deficiencies, the Court will deny the Application to Proceed and will give Plaintiff 30

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days to either pay the $400.00 filing and administrative fees or file a complete

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Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis.

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III.

The “Certificate of Correctional

Complaint is not signed

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All pleadings must be signed by the party if the party is not represented by an

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attorney. Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(a) and LRCiv 3.4, 7.1(b)(1). An unsigned pleading must be

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Miscellaneous Fee Schedule &14 (effective May 1, 2013), foll. 28 U.S.C. § 1914.
However, the administrative fee “does not apply to applications for a writ of habeas
corpus or to persons granted in forma pauperis status under 28 U.S.C. § 1915.” Id.
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stricken unless omission of the signature is corrected promptly after being called to the

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attention of the party. Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(a).

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Plaintiff’s Complaint is unsigned. Therefore, Plaintiff will be permitted 30 days

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from the filing date of this Order to submit a completed and signed Certificate, using the

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Certificate form included with this Order, certifying that Plaintiff’s signature on the

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Certificate shall serve as an original signature on his Complaint for the purposes of Rule

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3.4 of the Local Rules of Civil Procedure and Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil

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Procedure.

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IV.

Warnings

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A.

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Plaintiff must file and serve a notice of a change of address in accordance with

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Rule 83.3(d) of the Local Rules of Civil Procedure. Plaintiff must not include a motion

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for other relief with a notice of change of address. Failure to comply may result in

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dismissal of this action.

Address Changes

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B.

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Plaintiff must submit an additional copy of every filing for use by the Court. See

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LRCiv 5.4. Failure to comply may result in the filing being stricken without further

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notice to Plaintiff.

Copies

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C.

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If Plaintiff fails to timely comply with every provision of this Order, including

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these warnings, the Court may dismiss this action without further notice. See Ferdik v.

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Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258, 1260-61 (9th Cir. 1992) (a district court may dismiss an action

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for failure to comply with any order of the Court).

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IT IS ORDERED:

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(1)

Possible Dismissal

Plaintiff’s Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Doc. 2) is denied

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without prejudice.

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....

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....

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(2)

Within 30 days of the date this Order is filed, Plaintiff must either pay the

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$400.00 filing and administrative fees or file a complete Application to Proceed In

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Forma Pauperis and a certified six-month trust account statement.

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(3)

If Plaintiff fails to either pay the $400.00 filing and administrative fees or

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file a complete Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis within 30 days, the Clerk of

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Court must enter a judgment of dismissal of this action without prejudice and without

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further notice to Plaintiff.

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(4)

Within 30 days of the date this Order is filed, Plaintiff must file a

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completed and signed Certificate, using the Certificate form provided with this Order,

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certifying that Plaintiff’s signature on the Certificate shall serve as an original signature

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on his Complaint for the purposes Rule 3.4 of the Local Rules of Civil Procedure and

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Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

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(5)

If Plaintiff fails to file, within 30 days, a completed and signed Certificate

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on the form provided with this Order, the Clerk of Court must strike Plaintiff’s Complaint

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and enter a judgment of dismissal of this action without prejudice and without further

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notice to Plaintiff.

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(6)

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The Clerk of the Court must mail Plaintiff a court-approved form for filing

an Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Non-Habeas) and a Certificate form.
DATED this 25th day of July, 2013.

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______________________________

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______________________________

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______________________________

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(Your Name and Address)

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

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Jeffrey Alan Taylor,

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No. CV 13-0983-PHX-RCB (JFM)
Plaintiff,

vs.

CERTIFICATE

Beth Anne Alexander, et al.,

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Defendants.

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I, Jeffrey Alan Taylor, certify:
I have read the pro se Complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Doc. 1) filed by
me on May 9, 2013, and to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief, formed
after an inquiry reasonable under the circumstances:
(1)

it is not being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass

or to cause unnecessary delay or needless increase in the cost of litigation;
(2)

the claims, defenses, and other legal contentions therein are

warranted by existing law or by a nonfrivolous argument for the extension,
modification, or reversal of existing law or the establishment of new law;
(3)

the allegations and other factual contentions have evidentiary

support or, if specifically so identified, are likely to have evidentiary support after
a reasonable opportunity for further investigation or discovery; and

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(4)

the denials of factual contentions are warranted on the evidence or,

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if specifically so identified, are reasonably based on a lack of information or

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belief.

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I further certify that my signature on this document shall serve as an original

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signature on the above-referenced Complaint for the purposes of Local Rule of Civil

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Procedure 3.4 and Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

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EXECUTED on this______day of______________________________, 2013.

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_________________________________
(Signature of Plaintiff)
Jeffrey Alan Taylor

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Instructions for Prisoners Applying for Leave to Proceed in Forma Pauperis
Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915 in a Civil Action (Non-habeas) in Federal Court
You must pay the $350.00 filing fee plus the $50.00 administrative fees for a civil action.
If you later file an appeal, you will be obligated to pay the $455.00 filing fee for the appeal.
If you have enough money to pay the full $400.00 filing and administrative fees, you should
send a cashier’s check or money order payable to the Clerk of the Court with your complaint.
If you do not have enough money to pay the full $400.00 filing and administrative fees, you
can file the action without prepaying the fees. However, the court will assess an initial partial filing
fee. The initial partial filing fee will be the greater of 20% of the average monthly deposits or 20%
of the average monthly balance in your prison or jail account for the six months immediately
preceding the filing of the lawsuit. The court will order the agency that has custody of you to
withdraw the initial partial filing fee from your prison or jail account as soon as funds are available
and to forward the money to the court.
After the initial partial filing fee has been paid, you will owe the balance of the $350.00
filing fee (you will not be required to pay the $50.00 administrative fee). Until the filing fee is paid
in full, each month you will owe 20% of your preceding month's income. The agency that holds you
in custody will collect that money and forward it to the court any time the amount in your account
exceeds $10.00. The balance of the filing fee may be collected even if the action is later dismissed,
summary judgment is granted against you, or you fail to prevail at trial.
To file an action without prepaying the filing fee, and to proceed with an action in forma
pauperis, you must complete the attached form and return it to the court with your complaint. You
must have a prison or jail official complete the certificate on the bottom of the form and attach a
certified copy of your prison or jail account statement for the last six months. If you were
incarcerated in a different institution during any part of the past six months, you must attach a
certificate and a certified copy of your account statement from each institution at which you were
confined. If you submit an incomplete form or do not submit a prison or jail account statement with
the form, your request to proceed in forma pauperis will be denied.
Even if some or all of the filing fee has been paid, the court is required to dismiss your action
if: (1) your allegation of poverty is untrue; (2) the action is frivolous or malicious; (3) your
complaint does not state a claim upon which relief can be granted; or (4) your complaint makes a
claim against a defendant for money damages and that defendant is immune from liability for money
damages.
If you file more than three actions or appeals which are dismissed as frivolous or malicious
or for failure to state a claim on which relief can be granted, you will be prohibited from filing any
other action in forma pauperis unless you are in imminent danger of serious physical injury.

Revised 5/1/2013

Name and Prisoner/Booking Number

Place of Confinement

Mailing Address

City, State, Zip Code

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Plaintiff,
vs.

Defendant(s).

)
, ) CASE NO.
)
)
)
APPLICATION TO PROCEED
)
IN FORMA PAUPERIS
, )
BY A PRISONER
)
CIVIL (NON-HABEAS)
)

I,
, declare, in support of my request to proceed in the above
entitled case without prepayment of fees under 28 U.S.C. § 1915, that I am unable to pay the fees for these
proceedings or to give security therefor and that I believe I am entitled to relief.
In support of this application, I answer the following questions under penalty of perjury:
1.

Have you ever before brought an action or appeal in a federal court while you were incarcerated or detained?
GYes GNo
If "Yes," how many have you filed?
.
Were any of the actions or appeals dismissed because they were frivolous, malicious, or failed to state a claim
upon which relief may be granted? GYes
GNo
If "Yes," how many of them?
.

2.

Are you currently employed at the institution where you are confined?
If "Yes," state the amount of your pay and where you work.

GYes

GNo

3.

Do you receive any other payments from the institution where you are confined?
If "Yes," state the source and amount of the payments.

GYes

GNo

Revised 5/1/2013

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4.

Do you have any other sources of income, savings, or assets either inside or outside of the institution where
you are confined?
GYes
GNo
If "Yes," state the sources and amounts of the income, savings, or assets.

I declare under penalty of perjury that the above information is true and correct.

DATE

SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT

CONSENT TO COLLECTION OF FEES FROM TRUST ACCOUNT
I,
, hereby consent to having the designated correctional officials at this
institution release to the Court my trust account information. I further consent to having the designated correctional
officials at this institution withdraw from my trust account the funds required to comply with the order of this Court
for the payment of filing fees in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b).
My consent includes withdrawal from my account by correctional officials of partial initial payments to this
Court equal to 20% of the greater of:
(A) the average monthly deposits to my account for the six-month period preceding my filing of this
action, or
(B) the average monthly balance in my account for the six-month period preceding my filing of this
action.
My consent also includes monthly withdrawals from my account by correctional officials of an amount equal
to 20% of each month’s income. Whenever the amount in my account reaches $10.00, correctional officials will
withdraw that amount and forward it to the Court until the required filing fee is paid in full. I understand that I am
liable for paying the entire fee, even if my case is dismissed by the Court before the fee is fully paid.

DATE

SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIONAL OFFICIAL
AS TO STATUS OF APPLICANT’S TRUST ACCOUNT
I,

, certify that as of the date applicant signed this application:

(Printed name of official)
The applicant’s trust account balance at this institution is:
$
The applicant’s average monthly deposits during the prior six months is:
$
The applicant’s average monthly balance during the prior six months is:
$
The attached certified account statement accurately reflects the status of the applicant’s account.

DATE

Revised 5/1/2013

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

TITLE/ID NUMBER

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INSTITUTION