Decatur County Bankruptcy Filings

Decatur County bankruptcy records are held by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Georgia. The local courthouse in Bainbridge does not store these federal filings. Every bankruptcy case from Decatur County goes through the Middle District, with staffed offices in Macon and Columbus. Searching for these records is straightforward. PACER gives you online access to case dockets, discharge papers, and filed documents any time of day. The free McVCIS phone system can also pull up basic case details for Decatur County filings without any charge.

Middle District Court for Decatur County

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Georgia serves Decatur County and 68 other counties across central and southwest Georgia. The main office is at the Thomas Jefferson Federal Building, 433 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201. You can call Macon at 478-752-3506. There is also a staffed office in Columbus at One Arsenal Place, 901 Front Avenue, Columbus, GA 31902, reachable at 706-649-7837.

The Middle District holds hearings in several locations beyond Macon and Columbus. Albany, Athens, Thomasville, and Valdosta all have hearing offices. For Decatur County, the Thomasville hearing location may be closest for in-person appearances. But hearings only happen there when scheduled. Those offices are not regularly staffed, so any records requests from Decatur County should go to the Macon office. Hon. Austin E. Carter is the Chief Judge. Kyle George serves as the Clerk.

Searching Decatur County Bankruptcy Records

PACER is the primary tool. Sign up for a free account and search by debtor name or case number. The system covers every federal bankruptcy case filed in the Middle District, including all Decatur County filings. You get docket sheets, motions, orders, and discharge information. The system updates in real time as the court processes filings.

The PACER Case Locator works across all federal courts at once. It is useful when a Decatur County debtor might have cases in more than one district. You enter a name and the locator tells you which courts have matches.

For a free search, call McVCIS at 1-866-222-8029. It is automated and runs all day, every day. Pick the Middle District of Georgia from the prompts and search by name or case number. The system gives you the filing date, chapter type, assigned judge, trustee, attorney, and case status. No fee at all.

Decatur County Bankruptcy Record Costs

Online searches cost $0.10 per page on PACER. The per-page cap is $3.00 for documents of 30 pages or fewer. Viewing records on public terminals at the clerk office is free. Printing from those terminals costs $0.10 per page.

Mail and in-person copy requests run $0.50 per page. Add $12.00 for each certified document. If you need a records search because you lack a case number, the fee is $34.00. Use Form B1320 to submit your request. Payment goes by money order or certified check. Make it out to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." Cash works for in-person requests at the clerk window.

Georgia Bankruptcy Exemptions for Decatur County

Georgia requires its own exemptions instead of the federal ones. Under O.C.G.A. 44-13-100, Decatur County filers can protect up to $21,500 in their home. Married couples get $43,000 if the home is titled to one spouse. The vehicle exemption is $5,000. Personal property gets a $5,000 total cap with a $300 limit per item.

Jewelry is capped at $500. Tools of the trade go up to $1,500. The wildcard exemption starts at $1,200 and can grow by up to $10,000 of unused homestead exemption. Certain income is fully protected. Workers compensation, Social Security, unemployment, and veterans benefits are all exempt with no dollar limit. Alimony and child support payments are also fully protected in any Decatur County bankruptcy filing.

Note: Decatur County residents must have lived in Georgia at least 730 days to use these state exemptions.

Case Types in Decatur County Bankruptcies

Chapter 7 wipes out most unsecured debt through liquidation. It is the most common chapter filed in Decatur County. Non-exempt assets are sold and the proceeds go to creditors. The case usually wraps up in three to four months.

Chapter 13 is a repayment plan. The debtor keeps property and pays off debts over three to five years. This option suits people in Decatur County who have steady income but are behind on payments. Chapter 12 is less common but available for family farmers and fishermen. Chapter 11 covers business reorganization. All chapters are filed in the same Middle District court. Records for each are searchable on PACER.

Decatur County Clerk and Related Records

The Decatur County Clerk of Superior Court in Bainbridge handles state court business. Civil lawsuits, criminal cases, property deeds, liens, and plat records are stored there. Bankruptcy records are not. However, a bankruptcy filing by a Decatur County resident can involve local property records. A lien release or deed transfer connected to a bankruptcy case might be on file at the clerk office.

The Georgia Superior Court Clerks Cooperative Authority lets you search state records across all counties from one site. Use it to find Decatur County deeds, liens, and court filings. For the bankruptcy filing itself, go to the federal court system through PACER or the Middle District clerk office in Macon.

Below is the Middle District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court homepage. This is the court that handles all Decatur County bankruptcy cases.

The Middle District site links to court information, filing requirements, and electronic case access for Decatur County and all other counties in the district.

Older Decatur County Bankruptcy Records

Cases that closed years ago may have been transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration. When a Decatur County bankruptcy case is no longer on PACER, call the Middle District clerk office at 478-752-3506. Ask for the case number, accession number, location number, and box number. You send those details to NARA with your order. Plan for several weeks of processing time. NARA stores millions of archived federal court records and handles requests from across the country.

Nearby Counties

Decatur County borders several other southwest Georgia counties. Most are in the Middle District. Records for each are searchable through the same PACER system and clerk office.