Evans County Bankruptcy Records

Evans County bankruptcy records are stored at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Georgia, not at the local courthouse in Claxton. Every bankruptcy filing from Evans County goes through the federal system. The Southern District has staffed offices in Savannah, Augusta, and Brunswick where you can access records in person. Online access through PACER lets you search Evans County cases from anywhere at any time. You can also get free basic case information by calling the McVCIS phone line.

Southern District Court for Evans County

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Georgia handles all Evans County bankruptcy filings. Savannah at 124 Barnard Street, Second Floor, GA 31401 is the closest staffed office. Phone is (912) 650-4100. From Claxton, Savannah is roughly an hour drive. Augusta at 600 James Brown Blvd, GA 30901, phone (706) 823-6000, and Brunswick at 801 Gloucester Street, GA 31520, phone (912) 280-1376, are also staffed.

The Statesboro office at 52 North Main Street is another nearby location, but it is not always open. Staff only come in when hearings are scheduled. Records requests from Evans County go to Savannah or Augusta. Chief Judge Hon. Michele J. Kim leads the court. Dana M. Wilson is the Clerk.

How to Find Evans County Bankruptcy Records

Search PACER for the most complete results. Sign up for free. Enter a debtor name or case number. PACER shows docket sheets, filed documents, hearing dates, and case status for any Evans County bankruptcy filing in the Southern District. The system works around the clock and updates in real time.

Use the PACER Case Locator to search across all federal courts. An Evans County debtor with filings in another state or district will show up in the locator results.

McVCIS is the free option. Dial 1-866-222-8029 any time. Pick the Southern District of Georgia. You get the debtor name, case number, filing date, chapter, judge, trustee, and status. Free, 24/7, no account required.

Evans County Bankruptcy Record Fees

PACER costs $0.10 per page. The cap is $3.00 for any document of 30 pages or fewer. Viewing on clerk office public terminals is free. Printing there is $0.10 per page.

Copy requests by mail or in person are $0.50 per page. Certified copies add $12.00 per document. A records search without a case number costs $34.00 through Form B1320. Pay by money order or certified check to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." Cash is accepted in person at the staffed offices.

Note: Phone searches through McVCIS are always free for Evans County record lookups.

Exemptions in Evans County Bankruptcy Cases

Georgia opted out of federal exemptions. Evans County filers follow the state schedule under O.C.G.A. 44-13-100. The homestead exemption is $21,500. Married couples can protect $43,000 if the home is in one spouse's name. Vehicles are exempt to $5,000. Personal property gets $5,000 total, $300 per item. Jewelry is $500. Work tools get $1,500.

The wildcard exemption is $1,200 plus up to $10,000 of unused homestead. Social Security, workers compensation, unemployment, veterans benefits, and child support are fully exempt in Evans County cases. No cap applies to those income sources.

Evans County Bankruptcy Case Types

Chapter 7 is the most common filing in Evans County. It is liquidation. Non-exempt assets are sold and debts are discharged. The whole thing takes about three to four months. Fast and clean.

Chapter 13 lets you keep assets and pay back debts through a three to five year plan. Good for Evans County residents with steady earnings who need to catch up. Chapter 12 is for family farmers and fishermen. Chapter 11 handles business reorganization. All case types are stored in the Southern District and searchable on PACER. The Bankruptcy Code at 11 U.S.C. covers the rules for every chapter.

Evans County Clerk and Local Court Records

The Evans County Clerk of Superior Court in Claxton keeps state records only. Civil lawsuits, criminal cases, property deeds, and liens are at the courthouse. Bankruptcy filings are not stored there.

There can be connections between state and federal records. An Evans County property deed might be part of a bankruptcy liquidation. A lien filing could relate to a federal case. Use the Georgia Superior Court Clerks Cooperative Authority to search state records from Evans County online. For the actual bankruptcy case, go to the federal court system.

The image below shows the Southern District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court homepage. Evans County cases go through this court.

From this site you can access case information, filing guides, and contact details for the court offices serving Evans County.

Filing and Residency Rules

Evans County residents must have lived in Georgia for at least 730 days to use state exemptions. That is two full years. If you moved here from out of state more recently, your old state's exemptions may apply. Re-filing restrictions are in effect after discharge. Chapter 7 to Chapter 7 requires an eight-year wait. Chapter 7 to Chapter 13 takes four years. Chapter 13 to Chapter 13 is two years between filings. The clock runs from the prior filing date.

Archived Evans County Bankruptcy Records

Old closed cases are transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration. If you cannot find an Evans County case on PACER, call (912) 650-4100. The Savannah clerk can check if the case was sent to NARA and provide the numbers you need to order copies. Allow several weeks for NARA processing.

Nearby Counties

Evans County is in southeast Georgia. All neighboring counties are in the Southern District, so records searches work the same way through PACER and the clerk offices.