Opinion
01 Civ. 1647 (RCC) (AJP)
July 12, 2001
REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
To the Honorable Richard C. Casey, United States District Judge:
Plaintiff Jose Sanchez's pro se complaint in this action was filed as of February 26, 2001.
Rule 4(m) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides:
Time Limit for Service. If service of the summons and complaint is not made upon a defendant within 120 days after the filing of the complaint, the court, upon motion or on its own initiative after notice to the plaintiff, shall dismiss the action without prejudice as to that defendant or direct that service be effected within a specified time; provided that if the plaintiff shows good cause for the failure, the court shall extend the time for service for an appropriate period. . . .
By letter dated March 7, 2001, I advised plaintiff that if the complaint was not properly served under Rule 4(m), that is, by June 26, 2001, I would recommend that the action be dismissed. I also directed plaintiff to provide my chambers with proof of service when made.
Plaintiff has not provided my chambers with proof of service on defendant, and a review of the Court's docket sheet for this action discloses that there is no affidavit of service on file with the Clerk's Office. Further, the Marshal's Office has informed my chambers that plaintiff never submitted anything to them to effect service of process.
More than 120 days having passed from the filing of the complaint, and plaintiff having been advised of his obligations under Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(m), and there being no indication that plaintiff has had the complaint served on defendant, I recommend that the Court dismiss plaintiff's complaint without prejudice for failure to timely serve it pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(m). See, e.g., Reyes v. North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Sys., 00 Civ. 8968, 2001 WL 395166 at *1 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 16, 2001) (Peck, M.J.); Reckler v. Copper Dev. Ass'n, Inc., 00 Civ. 7007, 2001 WL 123727 at *1 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 14, 2001) (Peck, M.J.); Reyes v. McElroy, 00 Civ. 3311, 2000 WL 1280996 at *1 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 12, 2000) (Peck, M.J.); Williams v. Elzy, 99 Civ. 12084, 2000 WL 748150 at *1 (S.D.N.Y. June 9, 2000) (Peck, M.J.); Sanchez v. Bushrod, 98 Civ. 3830, 1999 WL 1565180 at *1 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 21, 1999) (Peck, M.J.).
See also, e.g., Duran v. New York City Police Dep't, 95 Civ. 4484, 1995 WL 791968 at *1 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 30, 1995) (Cedarbaum, D.J. Peck, M.J.); Kinlow v. Bock, 95 Civ. 3213, 1995 WL 791969 at *1 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 27, 1995) (Preska, D.J. Peck, M.J.).