Gordon County Bankruptcy Records Search

Bankruptcy records from Gordon County are managed by the federal court system, not the local courthouse in Calhoun. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia processes all bankruptcy filings from this northwest Georgia county. Whether you need to search for a Chapter 7 liquidation or a Chapter 13 repayment plan, the records are available through PACER online or by calling the free McVCIS phone system. Gordon County falls under the Northern District, and the Rome divisional office is the closest federal court location for most residents here.

Northern District Court for Gordon County

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia handles all Gordon County bankruptcy filings. The main office is in Atlanta at the Richard B. Russell Federal Building, 75 Ted Turner Drive SW, Room 1340, Atlanta, GA 30303. Call (404) 215-1000 to reach the clerk. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

The Northern District also has a divisional office in Rome at 600 E. 1st Street, 339 Federal Building, Rome, GA 30161. The Rome phone number is (706) 291-5639. For Gordon County residents, Rome is much closer than Atlanta. The Gainesville and Newnan offices are other options within the district. Vania S. Allen serves as Clerk of Court and Chief Judge Barbara Ellis-Monro leads the bench. The Northern District oversees 46 counties total.

Searching Gordon County Bankruptcy Filings

PACER gives you the fastest access to Gordon County bankruptcy records. Registration is free. Once logged in, you search by debtor name or case number. PACER returns docket entries, filed documents, schedules, and court orders. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you don't know which district court has the case, try the PACER Case Locator. It pulls records from every federal court across the country with one search. Useful when someone may have lived in Gordon County but filed somewhere else.

McVCIS is totally free. Call 1-866-222-8029 from any phone. The automated system runs all day, every day. Select the Northern District of Georgia. You get the debtor name, case number, chapter, filing date, judge, and case status. No documents come through the phone, but it does confirm whether a Gordon County bankruptcy exists.

In-person access is available at the Rome or Atlanta offices. Public computer terminals let you view records free of charge. Printing is $0.10 per page.

Gordon County Bankruptcy Record Fees

PACER charges $0.10 per page. Documents under 31 pages are capped at $3.00 total. Viewing at the clerk office terminals costs nothing. Printing runs $0.10 per page.

Copy requests made in person or by mail are $0.50 per page. Certified copies add $12.00 per document. If you need the clerk to find a case and you lack a number, file Form B1320 with a $34.00 search fee. Payment is by money order or certified check to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." Cash is accepted at the counter for in-person visits. These fees are the same at every Northern District location, whether you go to Rome or Atlanta for Gordon County records.

Exemptions for Gordon County Bankruptcy Filers

Georgia requires its own exemptions in bankruptcy cases instead of the federal ones. Gordon County residents follow O.C.G.A. 44-13-100. The homestead exemption covers up to $21,500 of home equity. Married couples can protect $43,000 if the home is titled in one spouse's name only. The vehicle exemption is $5,000.

Personal property up to $5,000 total is protected, with each item capped at $300. Jewelry has a $500 limit. Tools of the trade are exempt up to $1,500. A wildcard exemption of $1,200 applies to any asset type, and unused homestead exemption up to $10,000 can be added to the wildcard. Social Security, workers compensation, veterans benefits, and unemployment pay are all fully exempt with no cap in Gordon County filings.

Note: These exemption amounts are set by Georgia law and can change when the state legislature updates the code.

Types of Gordon County Bankruptcy Cases

Chapter 7 is the most common bankruptcy type in Gordon County. It is a straight liquidation. Non-exempt assets are sold, creditors get paid from the proceeds, and most leftover debts are discharged. The whole process takes roughly three to four months. Chapter 13 is the other main option. Instead of selling assets, the debtor pays back debts over a three to five year plan. This works well for people with regular jobs who fell behind.

Chapter 12 covers family farmers and fishermen. Chapter 11 is for business reorganizations. All four types produce records that go into the Northern District court system. You can search any of them through PACER. The federal Bankruptcy Code under 11 U.S.C. makes all of these records available to the public.

Gordon County Clerk and Local Court Records

The Gordon County Clerk of Superior Court in Calhoun handles state court business only. Civil cases, criminal records, deeds, liens, and other state filings go through this office. Bankruptcy records do not. The federal court keeps those. That said, state and federal records sometimes overlap. A property lien recorded in Gordon County might show up in a debtor's bankruptcy schedules, and a discharge order from the federal court may affect a judgment on file at the county level.

You can search Gordon County state records through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks Cooperative Authority online portal. This covers deeds, liens, and other recorded documents. For the actual bankruptcy filing and all related court documents, use PACER or visit the federal court.

The Northern District court website shown above is the starting point for searching Gordon County bankruptcy records online.

Archived Gordon County Bankruptcy Records

Cases closed for several years get transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration. When a Gordon County case does not appear in PACER, it may be at NARA. Contact the Northern District clerk at (404) 215-1000 or the Rome office at (706) 291-5639. They can confirm the archive status and give you the reference numbers to order from NARA. Allow several weeks for delivery.

Residency and Re-Filing Rules

You need 730 days of Georgia residency to use state exemptions in bankruptcy. Gordon County residents who moved from another state within the last two years may have to apply their old state's exemptions. The waiting periods between filings are eight years for Chapter 7 to Chapter 7, four years for Chapter 7 to Chapter 13, and two years for back-to-back Chapter 13 filings. These limits apply uniformly across the Northern District.

Nearby Counties

Gordon County sits in northwest Georgia near several other counties in the Northern District. Bankruptcy records from any of these neighboring counties can be searched the same way.