Haralson County Bankruptcy Records

Haralson County bankruptcy records are held by the federal court system, not the local courthouse in Buchanan. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia manages all bankruptcy filings from this west Georgia county. You can search these records through the PACER online system or call the free McVCIS phone line for case basics. The Northern District has an office in Newnan that is closer than Atlanta for many Haralson County residents. Every petition, docket entry, and discharge order from Haralson County bankruptcy cases is stored in the federal court system and open for public review.

Northern District Court for Haralson County

All Haralson County bankruptcy cases are filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The main office is at 75 Ted Turner Drive SW, Room 1340, Atlanta, GA 30303, with phone (404) 215-1000. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The Newnan office at P.O. Box 2328, Newnan, GA 30264, phone (678) 423-3000, may be a closer option for Haralson County residents living in the eastern part of the county.

The Rome office at 600 E. 1st Street, Rome, GA 30161 could also serve residents in the northern areas of Haralson County. Vania S. Allen is Clerk of Court. Chief Judge Barbara Ellis-Monro presides. The Northern District covers 46 counties total, and Haralson County is one of them.

Searching Haralson County Bankruptcy Cases

PACER is the primary search tool. Sign up for a free account. Look up Haralson County cases by debtor name or case number. You get access to docket sheets, every filed document, and current case status. PACER operates 24/7.

Not sure where the case was filed? The PACER Case Locator searches all federal courts nationwide in one search. Enter a name and see matches from every district. This is useful for people who lived in Haralson County but may have filed elsewhere.

McVCIS provides free phone access at 1-866-222-8029. Pick the Northern District of Georgia from the menu. The system gives you debtor name, case number, chapter, filing date, judge, trustee, and status. Available every day, all hours. No document copies, but it confirms if a Haralson County bankruptcy case exists.

Haralson County Bankruptcy Fees

PACER is $0.10 per page. Single documents of 30 pages or fewer are capped at $3.00. Viewing on public terminals at any clerk office location is free. Printing costs $0.10 per page.

Mail and in-person copy requests cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies add $12.00 per document. The search fee when you lack a case number is $34.00, submitted through Form B1320. Pay with money order or certified check to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." Cash works for in-person visits.

Exemptions for Haralson County Filers

Georgia does not allow federal bankruptcy exemptions. Haralson County residents must use the state schedule under O.C.G.A. 44-13-100. The homestead exemption protects $21,500 in home equity. Married couples filing together can protect $43,000 if the home is in one spouse's name. Vehicles get $5,000 of protection.

Personal property is exempt up to $5,000 total, with each item capped at $300. Jewelry has a $500 limit. Tools of the trade are protected to $1,500. The wildcard exemption is $1,200, and unused homestead exemption up to $10,000 can be added on top. Social Security, workers compensation, veterans benefits, and unemployment pay are fully exempt with no dollar cap in Haralson County cases.

Note: You must live in Georgia at least 730 days before filing to qualify for these exemptions.

Types of Haralson County Bankruptcy Cases

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 are the main types. Chapter 7 is liquidation. The trustee sells non-exempt assets and remaining debts are wiped out. Most cases close in three to four months. Chapter 13 is a repayment plan over three to five years. The debtor keeps property and pays back creditors from income.

Chapter 12 exists for family farmers and fishermen. Chapter 11 is business reorganization. All filing types go through the Northern District and appear in PACER. Under 11 U.S.C., these records are public.

Haralson County Clerk and State Records

The Haralson County Clerk of Superior Court in Buchanan manages state-level court records. Civil lawsuits, criminal cases, deeds, liens, and other state filings pass through this office. Bankruptcy records do not. The federal court system keeps those separately. But county records can overlap with a bankruptcy case. A deed or judgment lien recorded in Haralson County could show up in a debtor's bankruptcy petition.

Search Haralson County state records through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks Cooperative Authority online. For actual bankruptcy documents, use PACER or the Northern District court.

The Northern District court website above is where all Haralson County bankruptcy cases are filed and managed.

Archived Haralson County Cases

Older closed cases eventually transfer to the National Archives and Records Administration. If PACER does not show a Haralson County case you are looking for, it may be archived. Contact the Northern District clerk at (404) 215-1000 for help. They can confirm the status and provide reference numbers for your NARA request. Expect several weeks for processing.

Residency and Filing Rules

You need 730 days of Georgia residency to claim state exemptions. Haralson County residents who arrived from out of state within the last two years may use their former state's exemptions. The re-filing limits are eight years between Chapter 7 filings, four years from Chapter 7 to Chapter 13, and two years between Chapter 13 filings. These are uniform federal rules.

Nearby Counties

Haralson County borders several west Georgia counties in the Northern District. Bankruptcy records from any of these neighbors are searched the same way through PACER or the clerk office.