Glynn County Bankruptcy Case Records

Bankruptcy records filed by Glynn County residents are maintained by the federal court system. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Georgia handles these filings, and Glynn County has a distinct advantage because the Southern District operates a staffed office right in Brunswick. This means local residents can access bankruptcy records without traveling to Savannah or Augusta. You can also search Glynn County bankruptcy filings online through PACER or get free case information by phone through the McVCIS system any time of day.

Southern District Court in Brunswick

Glynn County is served by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Georgia, which has a staffed office in Brunswick at 801 Gloucester Street, 3rd Floor, Brunswick, GA 31520. The phone number for this office is (912) 280-1376. This is one of three fully staffed locations in the Southern District, along with Savannah and Augusta. Having a local court office means Glynn County residents can file documents, view records, and talk to court staff without a long drive.

The Savannah office is at 124 Barnard Street, Second Floor, Savannah, GA 31401, reachable at (912) 650-4100. Augusta's office sits at the Federal Justice Center, 600 James Brown Blvd, Augusta, GA 30901, with a phone number of (706) 823-6000. Hon. Michele J. Kim is Chief Judge and Dana M. Wilson is the Clerk of Court for the entire Southern District. Glynn County is one of 43 counties under this court's jurisdiction.

How to Search Glynn County Bankruptcy Records

You have three main options. Online through PACER is the quickest. Sign up for a free account, then search by name or case number. PACER pulls up docket sheets, filed documents, and current case status for any Glynn County filing in the Southern District. It runs around the clock.

The PACER Case Locator searches every federal court in the nation at once. This is a good starting point when you are not sure which district handled the case. Type in a name and it returns results from all districts.

McVCIS is the free phone option. Dial 1-866-222-8029, select the Southern District of Georgia, and search by name or case number. The system tells you basic facts about the case. It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You won't get documents through McVCIS, but you can confirm a Glynn County case exists and get its key details.

In person is always an option. Walk into the Brunswick office at 801 Gloucester Street. Use the public terminals to view records for free. Print pages for $0.10 each.

Fees for Glynn County Bankruptcy Records

PACER costs $0.10 per page for searches and downloads. There is a $3.00 cap per document when it is 30 pages or less. Viewing at the courthouse terminals is free. Printing from those terminals costs $0.10 per page.

Copies ordered in person or by mail run $0.50 per page. Certified copies carry an extra $12.00 charge per document. If you need the clerk to search for a case by name because you lack a case number, submit Form B1320 with a $34.00 fee. Mail payments to the Brunswick office at 801 Gloucester Street, 3rd Floor, Brunswick, GA 31520. Use a money order or certified check made payable to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court."

Note: Cash is accepted for in-person requests at the Brunswick clerk office.

Glynn County Bankruptcy Exemptions

Georgia has opted out of federal exemptions. Glynn County residents filing bankruptcy must use the state exemption schedule found in O.C.G.A. 44-13-100. The homestead exemption shields up to $21,500 of equity in a home. Married couples who file together can protect up to $43,000 if the property is in one spouse's name. Vehicles are exempt up to $5,000.

Personal property gets a $5,000 total exemption, but no single item can be worth more than $300. Jewelry is capped at $500. Work tools are protected up to $1,500. The wildcard exemption is $1,200, and you can stack up to $10,000 from unused homestead exemption on top of that amount. Social Security income, workers compensation, veterans benefits, and unemployment payments are fully exempt. No dollar limit applies to those in Glynn County bankruptcy filings.

Types of Bankruptcy Filings in Glynn County

Most Glynn County bankruptcy cases are Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. Chapter 7 is liquidation. Assets that are not exempt get sold, and remaining debts are discharged. This process usually wraps up in three to four months. It is the most common type of individual bankruptcy filing across the Southern District.

Chapter 13 lets you keep your property and pay debts through a plan that lasts three to five years. People who earn regular wages but fell behind on bills often choose this route. Chapter 12 is reserved for family farmers and fishermen. Chapter 11 handles business reorganizations and is less common for personal filings. All chapter types are filed through the Southern District and appear in PACER searches. Under 11 U.S.C., anyone can access these public records.

Glynn County Clerk and State Court Records

The Glynn County Clerk of Superior Court in Brunswick handles state-level court records. This includes civil cases, criminal filings, real estate deeds, and liens. Bankruptcy records are not stored here. They are federal records kept by the Southern District court. However, a lien release or property deed recorded in Glynn County might be referenced in a bankruptcy case.

The Georgia Superior Court Clerks Cooperative Authority offers an online search portal for state-level records across all Georgia counties. You can use it to find deed records and liens in Glynn County. For actual bankruptcy filings, always check with the federal court system.

Above is the Southern District of Georgia bankruptcy court website, the federal court that handles all Glynn County bankruptcy cases from the Brunswick office.

Archived Glynn County Cases at NARA

Older cases from Glynn County that are no longer in the active court system get sent to the National Archives and Records Administration. If a PACER search comes up empty, the case might be archived. Contact the Brunswick clerk office at (912) 280-1376 to find out. They can tell you if the records moved to NARA and give you the reference numbers needed to order copies.

NARA requests take several weeks. You will need the case number, accession number, location number, and box number. The clerk staff in Brunswick can provide all of that. Start there before you contact NARA directly.

Residency Rules for Glynn County Bankruptcy

Georgia exemptions require at least 730 days of state residency before your filing date. Glynn County residents who moved from out of state less than two years before filing may have to use their prior state's exemptions. The rule looks at where you lived during that period, not just where you file. Re-filing restrictions are also in place. You must wait eight years between Chapter 7 discharges, four years from Chapter 7 to Chapter 13, and two years between Chapter 13 filings.

Nearby Counties

Glynn County sits on the Georgia coast and shares borders with several counties also served by the Southern District. Searching for bankruptcy records in these areas works the same way through PACER or the Brunswick clerk office.