Jeff Davis County Bankruptcy Records

Bankruptcy records filed by Jeff Davis County residents are held in the federal court system, not at the local courthouse in Hazlehurst. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Georgia handles every bankruptcy case from this southeast Georgia county. You can look up Jeff Davis County bankruptcy records online through PACER or get free case details by calling the McVCIS phone system. The Southern District has staffed offices in Savannah, Augusta, and Brunswick where court staff keep all filed petitions, docket entries, and court orders from Jeff Davis County cases available for public access.

Southern District Court for Jeff Davis County

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Georgia handles all Jeff Davis County bankruptcy filings. The closest staffed offices are in Savannah at 124 Barnard Street, Second Floor, Savannah, GA 31401, phone (912) 650-4100, and in Brunswick at 801 Gloucester Street, 3rd Floor, Brunswick, GA 31520, phone (912) 280-1376. The Augusta office at 600 James Brown Blvd, Augusta, GA 30901 is the third staffed location, phone (706) 823-6000.

The Southern District also has offices in Dublin, Statesboro, and Waycross that are closer to Jeff Davis County, but these offices are only staffed when hearings take place. For regular business and record requests, use one of the three staffed offices. Hon. Michele J. Kim is the Chief Judge. Dana M. Wilson serves as Clerk of Court. Jeff Davis County is one of 43 counties in the Southern District.

Searching Jeff Davis County Bankruptcy Records

PACER is the fastest way to search for Jeff Davis County bankruptcy records. Sign up for a free account. Search by debtor name or case number. The system returns docket entries, filed documents, and case status. PACER works around the clock. Any Jeff Davis County case in the Southern District will show up here.

The PACER Case Locator pulls records from every federal court in the country with one search. This is good when you know a name but are unsure which court handled the filing. It helps track down cases for people who may have lived in Jeff Davis County at one time but filed elsewhere.

McVCIS is the free option. Call 1-866-222-8029 and select the Southern District of Georgia. The automated system provides the debtor name, case number, chapter, filing date, judge, trustee, and current status. Available around the clock, every day. No document copies, but it confirms if a Jeff Davis County case is in the system.

You can visit a staffed office in person too. Public terminals let you view records free. Prints are $0.10 per page.

Jeff Davis County Bankruptcy Fees

PACER costs $0.10 per page for searches and downloads. Documents of 30 pages or fewer cap at $3.00. Viewing at the clerk office is free on public terminals. Printing is $0.10 per page.

Copy requests by mail or in person cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies add $12.00 per document. When you need the clerk to search by name because you lack a case number, submit Form B1320 with a $34.00 fee. Pay by money order or certified check to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." Cash works for in-person visits at any of the three staffed offices.

Bankruptcy Exemptions in Jeff Davis County

Georgia has opted out of federal bankruptcy exemptions. Jeff Davis County residents must use the state exemptions under O.C.G.A. 44-13-100. The homestead exemption is $21,500. Married couples can protect $43,000 if the home is titled in one spouse's name. The vehicle exemption is $5,000.

Personal property gets $5,000 total, each item capped at $300. Jewelry is $500. Work tools are exempt to $1,500. The wildcard exemption of $1,200 can apply to any property, and up to $10,000 of unused homestead exemption can be added to it. Social Security, workers compensation, unemployment, and veterans benefits are fully exempt with no dollar limit for Jeff Davis County filers. Retirement accounts are protected too.

Types of Jeff Davis County Bankruptcy Cases

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 make up the majority of Jeff Davis County filings. Chapter 7 is a liquidation case. Non-exempt property is sold to pay creditors. Remaining debts get discharged. 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 debts from income.

Chapter 12 is for family farmers and fishermen. Jeff Davis County has an agricultural base where this chapter may apply. Chapter 11 covers business reorganization and is less common for individual filers. All case types go through the Southern District and are searchable in PACER. Public access to these records is guaranteed under 11 U.S.C.

Jeff Davis County Clerk and State Records

The Jeff Davis County Clerk of Superior Court in Hazlehurst manages state court records. Civil lawsuits, criminal cases, real estate deeds, liens, and other state filings go through this office. It does not keep bankruptcy records. Those are federal. But state records from Jeff Davis County can overlap with a bankruptcy case. A lien on property might appear in both the county records and a debtor's federal bankruptcy filing.

Search Jeff Davis County state records through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks Cooperative Authority online portal. For the actual bankruptcy case and all related documents, use PACER or the Southern District court.

The Southern District court website above is where Jeff Davis County bankruptcy cases are filed and managed.

Archived Jeff Davis County Bankruptcy Records

Closed cases from Jeff Davis County get transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration over time. If a PACER search turns up nothing, the records may be with NARA. Call the Savannah clerk at (912) 650-4100 to check. They will tell you if the case has been archived and give you the accession number, location number, and box number needed for a NARA order. Expect several weeks for archived records.

Note: Always check with the clerk office first before placing a NARA request.

Filing Requirements for Jeff Davis County

Georgia exemptions require 730 days of state residency. Jeff Davis County residents who moved from another state within the last two years may have to use their former state's exemptions. The re-filing rules are eight years between Chapter 7 filings, four years from Chapter 7 to Chapter 13, and two years between Chapter 13 filings. These are federal limits that apply across the Southern District.

Nearby Counties

Jeff Davis County is in southeast Georgia, surrounded by other Southern District counties. Bankruptcy records from neighboring counties are searched through the same PACER system and clerk offices.