Bartow County Bankruptcy Records Search

Bankruptcy records for Bartow County are held in the federal court system under the Northern District of Georgia. Cartersville is the county seat, but the local courthouse does not store or manage bankruptcy case files. These records are available to the public through PACER, the federal courts online database, or by calling the McVCIS automated phone line at no cost. Bartow County residents who have filed for bankruptcy have their case documents, dockets, and court orders stored at the Northern District clerk office in Atlanta.

Federal Court for Bartow County Filings

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia processes all bankruptcy cases from Bartow County. The Atlanta office at 75 Ted Turner Drive SW, Room 1340, Atlanta, GA 30303 is the main location. Phone: (404) 215-1000. Court hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

Bartow County is northwest of Atlanta, so the Rome divisional office at 600 E. 1st Street, Federal Building, Rome, GA 30161 may be a more practical option for some residents. That office can be reached at (706) 291-5639. The Northern District also operates from Gainesville and Newnan. All four offices serve the 46 counties in this district.

Vania S. Allen is the Clerk of Court. Chief Judge Barbara Ellis-Monro heads the bench. For search tools and filing guides, visit the case information page on the Northern District website.

How to Find Bartow County Bankruptcy Records

The primary online tool is PACER. Registration costs nothing. You search by debtor name, case number, or other data points. Every document in a Bartow County bankruptcy case is viewable through PACER once you log in. Docket sheets show every action taken in the case. Filed petitions, schedules, motions, and orders are all there.

Use the PACER Case Locator if you want to search across all federal courts. Someone who lived in Bartow County might have filed in a different district. The Case Locator pulls results from the entire system.

McVCIS is free and available by phone at 1-866-222-8029. The automated system provides debtor name, case number, chapter, judge, trustee, and filing date. Choose the Northern District from the menu. Available around the clock, every day of the year.

Bartow County Bankruptcy Costs

Online searches through PACER cost $0.10 per page. Most single filings from Bartow County cases are capped at $3.00 when they run 30 pages or less. Free viewing is available at the public computer terminals in the clerk office. Printing from those terminals: $0.10 per page.

For mail or in-person copy requests, the fee jumps to $0.50 per page. Certified copies add $12.00 per document. If the court must search for your case because you lack a number, that costs $34.00. You send Form B1320 with payment to the clerk. Money orders and certified checks accepted. Cash only in person.

Bartow County Clerk of Superior Court

Josh Biddy is the Clerk of Superior Court for Bartow County. His office is at 135 W Cherokee Ave, Suite 233, Cartersville, GA 30120. Phone: (770) 387-5025. Open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Bartow County clerk page provides additional information about the office and its services.

The Bartow County clerk maintains state-level court records including civil lawsuits, criminal cases, property deeds, and liens. These are separate from federal bankruptcy filings. However, property records and judgment liens in Bartow County can tie into a bankruptcy case when a debtor's assets include local real estate. To search state records statewide, the GSCCCA portal is a good resource.

The image below shows the Northern District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court homepage. This is the federal court that handles all Bartow County bankruptcy cases.

You can access case search tools, filing procedures, and fee schedules directly from this court website.

Georgia Exemptions for Bartow County

Georgia opted out of the federal bankruptcy exemptions. O.C.G.A. 44-13-100 controls what Bartow County filers can protect. The homestead exemption covers up to $21,500 in home equity, or $43,000 for some married couples. Vehicles are protected up to $5,000. Personal property is $5,000 total with a $300 per-item limit. Jewelry is $500. Work tools get $1,500.

The wildcard exemption is $1,200, and unused homestead up to $10,000 can be added to it. This matters for Bartow County renters who don't use the homestead exemption. Fully exempt income includes Social Security, unemployment, workers comp under O.C.G.A. 34-9-84, veterans benefits, and alimony or child support. Retirement accounts like 401(k) and IRA funds are protected. These state rules apply to every bankruptcy filed by a Bartow County resident under the Bankruptcy Code.

Filing Rules and Archived Records

You must live in Georgia for 730 days to use the state's bankruptcy exemptions. Bartow County residents who moved from out of state less than two years ago may need to use exemptions from where they lived before. Re-filing limits are firm: eight years between Chapter 7 discharges, four years from Chapter 7 to Chapter 13, and two years between Chapter 13 filings.

Archived cases from Bartow County are stored at the National Archives. Call (404) 215-1000 to get the reference numbers from the Northern District clerk, then order from NARA. Plan on a few weeks for delivery.

Note: Not all old cases have been transferred to NARA; check PACER first.

Nearby Counties

Bartow County is in northwest Georgia, about an hour north of Atlanta. These neighboring counties are all in the Northern District for bankruptcy filings.