Appling County Bankruptcy Records

Bankruptcy records filed by Appling County residents are kept in the federal court system, not at the local courthouse in Baxley. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Georgia handles all bankruptcy filings from this county. You can search these records online through PACER or by phone at no cost using the McVCIS system. Appling County falls under the Savannah division, and the clerk office there keeps case files, docket sheets, and all related bankruptcy documents on file for public access.

Southern District Court for Appling County

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Georgia serves Appling County along with 42 other counties in the southeast part of the state. The main office for this district is in Savannah at 124 Barnard Street, Second Floor, Savannah, GA 31401. You can reach the clerk by phone at (912) 650-4100. The court is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. All bankruptcy cases from Appling County are filed here.

The Southern District also has staffed offices in Augusta and Brunswick. Cases from Appling County can be handled at any of these locations, though Savannah is closest. Hon. Michele J. Kim serves as Chief Judge, and Dana M. Wilson is the Clerk of Court. If you need to mail documents related to an Appling County bankruptcy case, send them to PO Box 8347, Savannah, GA 31412.

How to Search Appling County Bankruptcy Records

Three ways exist to search for bankruptcy records in Appling County. Each method gives you a different level of detail and cost. The fastest option is online through PACER, which stands for Public Access to Court Electronic Records. You need a free account to use it. Once you log in, you can look up any Appling County bankruptcy case by name or case number. Results show up right away, and you can view docket sheets, filed documents, and case status information.

The PACER Case Locator is a good starting point if you are not sure which court has the case. It searches across all federal courts at once. This tool is helpful when you know the name but not which district handled the bankruptcy filing in Appling County.

For free phone access, call McVCIS at 1-866-222-8029. This is a toll-free automated system that runs all day, every day. It can tell you basic case facts like the debtor name, case number, filing date, chapter type, and assigned judge. You pick the Southern District of Georgia from the menu to search Appling County records. McVCIS does not give you document copies, but it does confirm if a case exists.

You can also visit the clerk office in Savannah in person. Public computer terminals let you view docket information and documents at no charge. Printing costs $0.10 per page at these terminals.

Appling County Bankruptcy Fees

PACER charges $0.10 per page when you search or download documents. This applies to all Appling County bankruptcy records accessed online. The fee is capped at $3.00 for any single document that is 30 pages or less. If you use the public terminals at the clerk office, printing is also $0.10 per page but viewing is free.

Need copies by mail? The court charges $0.50 per page for copy requests sent in person or by mail from the Appling County area. Certified copies cost an extra $12.00 per document on top of the per-page fee. If you do not have a case number and need the clerk to search for it, the search fee is $34.00. You can use Form B1320 to request this kind of search. Payments must be by money order or certified check made out to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court."

Bankruptcy Case Types in Appling County

Most bankruptcy filings from Appling County fall under Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. These two chapters cover the vast majority of individual cases in the Southern District. Chapter 7 is a liquidation case. The debtor's non-exempt assets are sold to pay back creditors, and most remaining debts get discharged. It is the fastest type of bankruptcy, often wrapping up in three to four months.

Chapter 13 works differently. The debtor keeps their property and pays back debts through a three to five year plan. This is common in Appling County for people who have steady income but fell behind on payments. Farmers and fishermen in the area may qualify for Chapter 12, which is set up for family farming and fishing operations. Chapter 11 is for business reorganization. Each type of case generates different records, but all are stored in the same federal court system and can be searched through PACER.

Under 11 U.S.C. (the federal Bankruptcy Code), public access to these records is guaranteed. Anyone can look up bankruptcy filings in Appling County regardless of their relationship to the case.

Appling County Bankruptcy Exemptions

Georgia has opted out of the federal bankruptcy exemptions. This means Appling County residents must use state exemptions when they file. Under O.C.G.A. 44-13-100, the homestead exemption allows a debtor to protect up to $21,500 in their home. Married couples filing jointly can shield up to $43,000 if the home is in one spouse's name. The motor vehicle exemption is $5,000.

Personal property is capped at $5,000 total, with no single item worth more than $300. Jewelry gets a $500 exemption. Tools of the trade are protected up to $1,500. The wildcard exemption of $1,200 can apply to any asset, plus up to $10,000 of unused homestead exemption can be added to it. Some things have no dollar limit. Workers compensation, Social Security, unemployment benefits, and veterans benefits are fully exempt in Appling County bankruptcy cases.

Appling County Clerk and State Records

The Appling County Clerk of Superior Court does not handle bankruptcy records. Clerk Marsha Thomas and her staff manage state court cases at 69 Tippins Street, Suite 103, Baxley, GA 31513. You can reach this office at (912) 367-8126, and it is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The Appling County clerk office handles civil cases, criminal records, real estate deeds, and other state court matters. These records can sometimes relate to a bankruptcy case. For example, a lien filed on property in Appling County might show up in both the clerk records and the federal bankruptcy case. The Georgia Superior Court Clerks Cooperative Authority provides a statewide search tool for these types of state records. But for the bankruptcy filing itself, you always go to the federal court.

The screenshot below shows the Appling County Clerk of Court website where you can look up state court records and contact information for the office in Baxley.

Keep in mind that the clerk office only stores state-level filings. All federal bankruptcy records for Appling County are at the Southern District court.

Archived Appling County Bankruptcy Records

Older bankruptcy cases from Appling County may not be on PACER. After a case has been closed for several years, the court sends the records to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). To get copies of archived cases, you first need to contact the Southern District clerk office in Savannah. They can give you the case number, accession number, location number, and box number you need to place an order with NARA.

Once you have those details, you order copies directly from NARA. This process takes longer than getting active case records. Plan for several weeks. If you are not sure whether an Appling County bankruptcy case is still in the court system or has been sent to NARA, call the Savannah clerk office at (912) 650-4100. They can check the status for you.

Residency Rules for Appling County Filings

To use Georgia state exemptions in a bankruptcy case, you must have lived in the state for at least 730 days (two full years) before filing. This rule applies to all Appling County residents. If you moved to Appling County from another state less than two years ago, you may have to use the exemptions from your previous state. The re-filing rules matter too. If you got a Chapter 7 discharge, you must wait eight years before filing Chapter 7 again. A Chapter 7 followed by Chapter 13 requires a four-year gap. Chapter 13 to Chapter 13 is a two-year wait.

Note: The 730-day residency rule is based on where you lived, not where you file the case.

Nearby Counties

Several counties border Appling County in southeast Georgia. Each is also served by the Southern District Bankruptcy Court. If a case was filed in a neighboring county, you search for it the same way through PACER or the clerk office.