Johnson County Bankruptcy Records Search

Johnson County bankruptcy records are managed through the Southern District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court. The county seat of Wrightsville does not have a federal court office, so residents must work with the court's staffed locations in Savannah, Augusta, or Brunswick for in-person needs. Online access through PACER is available around the clock. This guide covers every method for searching Johnson County bankruptcy records, from digital tools to phone-based lookups, along with a breakdown of the fees and filing types you will encounter.

Federal Court Serving Johnson County

All Johnson County bankruptcy cases go to the Southern District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court. The main staffed offices are in Savannah at 124 Barnard Street, Second Floor (phone: (912) 650-4100), Augusta at 600 James Brown Blvd (phone: (706) 823-6000), and Brunswick at 801 Gloucester Street, Third Floor (phone: (912) 280-1376). Dana M. Wilson is the Clerk of Court and Chief Judge Michele J. Kim oversees the district.

The Southern District also has an unstaffed hearing location in Dublin at 100 North Franklin Street, Dublin, GA 31021. Dublin is close to Johnson County and hearings for local cases sometimes take place there. However, this office is not always open. Do not mail documents to Dublin. Send everything to Savannah or Augusta instead.

How to Look Up Johnson County Bankruptcy Records

PACER gives you the most complete access to Johnson County bankruptcy records. Create a free account and search by name or case number. Each filing, motion, schedule, and court order appears in the docket. The system is up all the time. You pay $0.10 per page when you open or download a document.

Not sure where a case was filed? The PACER Case Locator searches every federal bankruptcy court nationwide. Type a name and see all matches. Save your searches and set up alerts for new activity on a case. This is useful when a Johnson County debtor may have also had filings elsewhere.

Call McVCIS at 1-866-222-8029 for a free alternative. This phone service gives basic case data: debtor name, case number, judge, filing date, chapter, and status. Choose the Southern District when prompted. It works around the clock. You will not see full documents, but you can confirm if a Johnson County bankruptcy filing exists.

You can also walk into any staffed clerk office. The public terminals let you view records for free. Printing costs $0.10 per page.

Johnson County Bankruptcy Record Costs

Fees for Johnson County bankruptcy records are set by the federal courts. PACER access costs $0.10 per page online. Viewing at a public terminal is free. Printing from those terminals is $0.10 per page. In-person or mail copy requests cost $0.50 per page. Want it certified? Add $12.00 per document.

If you do not have a case number, the court will search for you at a cost of $34.00. Submit Form B1320 with a check or money order made payable to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." Cash works for in-person requests. Personal checks are accepted for pro se filers only.

Note: PACER waives fees if your quarterly total stays under $30.

Bankruptcy Chapters Filed in Johnson County

Cases from Johnson County are filed under the Bankruptcy Code, Title 11 of the U.S. Code. The most common chapters are 7 and 13. Chapter 7 is liquidation. Non-exempt assets are sold. Proceeds go to creditors. The case usually ends in a few months. Chapter 13 sets up a repayment plan that runs three to five years. The debtor keeps their property and makes monthly payments to a trustee.

Chapter 11 covers business reorganizations. A company continues running while it restructures what it owes. Chapter 12 is for family farmers and fishermen. In a rural county like Johnson, Chapter 12 cases may come up more than in urban areas. Every chapter creates a detailed set of court records including petitions, schedules, plans, motions, and the final order of discharge or dismissal.

Georgia Exemptions for Johnson County Residents

Georgia does not let filers use the federal exemption list. Johnson County residents must follow the state exemptions in O.C.G.A. 44-13-100. The homestead exemption shields up to $21,500 in home equity. Married couples filing jointly can protect $43,000 if the property is solely in one spouse's name. The vehicle exemption covers $5,000. Tools needed for work are exempt up to $1,500. Jewelry has a $500 exemption.

A wildcard exemption of $1,200 applies to any type of property. You can add up to $10,000 of unused homestead exemption to this wildcard amount. Personal property gets a total exemption of $5,000 with a $300 cap per item. Income that is fully exempt includes Social Security, workers' compensation under O.C.G.A. 34-9-84, veterans' benefits, unemployment, and retirement accounts. Alimony and child support are also protected from creditors.

Residency matters. You need 730 days in Georgia before filing to claim these exemptions. Re-filing limits also apply: eight years between Chapter 7 filings, four years from Chapter 7 to Chapter 13, and two years between Chapter 13 filings.

Johnson County State Court Records

The Superior Court Clerk in Wrightsville handles state-level records for Johnson County. This includes civil cases, criminal filings, deeds, liens, and property records. Bankruptcy filings are not part of the clerk's system. Still, county records can tie into federal bankruptcy cases in meaningful ways.

A judgment lien filed in Johnson County, for example, may show up as a claim in a bankruptcy petition. After discharge, that lien might remain on record at the county level until steps are taken to remove it. The GSCCCA provides online access to deed and lien records across Georgia. Comparing those records with PACER data gives a more complete view of a Johnson County debtor's financial picture.

Archived Johnson County Bankruptcy Records

Very old cases get transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration once they close. If you need records from an old Johnson County bankruptcy case and PACER no longer has them, contact the Southern District clerk at (912) 650-4100. They will give you the accession number, location number, and box number. Use those details to order copies directly from NARA.

NARA requests take longer than PACER searches. Give yourself extra time if deadlines are involved.

Nearby Counties

Johnson County sits in central-east Georgia. Its neighbors are mostly in the Southern District as well. Confirm the debtor's home address at the time of filing to be sure you search the correct county's records.