Lee County Bankruptcy Records Lookup

Lee County bankruptcy records come through the Middle District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court. Leesburg is the county seat, but the federal court handles all bankruptcy filings from separate offices. Lee County sits next to Dougherty County, where the Albany hearing location gives local residents a closer option for court appearances. Searching for bankruptcy records in Lee County involves the same tools and steps used across the federal system. This guide covers the search methods, fees, exemptions, and filing details specific to Lee County bankruptcy records.

Lee County Federal Court Information

All Lee County bankruptcy cases go to the Middle District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court. The main staffed office is in Macon at 433 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201 (phone: 478-752-3506). The Columbus office at 901 Front Avenue, Columbus, GA 31902 is also staffed (phone: 706-649-7837). Chief Judge Austin E. Carter leads the court and Kyle George is the Clerk.

The Middle District has a hearing location in Albany at the C.B. King U.S. Courthouse, 201 West Broad Avenue. This is the nearest court facility to Lee County. Hearings for Lee County cases may be held here on scheduled dates. The Albany office is not regularly staffed, though. Filing papers and picking up copies require a trip to Macon or Columbus, or you can send documents by mail to the Macon office.

Note: All new case filings should be mailed to the Macon location, not to Albany.

Searching Lee County Bankruptcy Records Online

PACER is the fastest way to search Lee County bankruptcy records. Create a free account and search the Middle District by name or case number. PACER shows every filing, motion, order, and docket entry. The cost is $0.10 per page. It runs all day, every day.

If you are not sure which district handled a filing, the PACER Case Locator searches all federal bankruptcy courts in one go. Type a name and see every matching case nationwide. You can save your searches and track cases over time. This is useful when a Lee County debtor may have also had filings in another state or district.

For a free phone option, call McVCIS at 1-866-222-8029. Choose the Middle District. Enter a debtor name or case number. The system reads back the case number, judge, filing date, chapter, and current status. No documents come through the phone, but it confirms whether a Lee County bankruptcy filing exists. The line works 24 hours a day.

Lee County Bankruptcy Record Fees

Costs depend on how you access Lee County bankruptcy records. PACER charges $0.10 per page online. Public computer terminals at the clerk office in Macon let you view records for free. Printing costs $0.10 per page at those terminals.

Copy requests made in person or by mail cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies add $12.00 per document. If you need the court to run a search because you lack a case number, the fee is $34.00. File Form B1320 with a check or money order payable to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." Cash works at the counter only.

Types of Bankruptcy Filed in Lee County

Lee County residents file under the Bankruptcy Code. Chapter 7 is a liquidation case where non-exempt assets are sold. Proceeds pay creditors. Remaining debts get discharged. Most wrap up in a few months. Chapter 13 is a repayment plan. The debtor keeps their property and makes payments to a trustee over three to five years.

Chapter 11 applies to businesses that want to reorganize while still operating. Chapter 12 covers family farmers and fishermen. All four types create public court records that include the petition, schedules, the plan if applicable, motions, court orders, and the final discharge or dismissal. Every document becomes part of a searchable docket available through PACER.

Georgia Exemptions for Lee County Filers

Georgia does not use federal exemptions. Lee County residents must rely on state exemptions listed in O.C.G.A. 44-13-100. The homestead exemption covers $21,500 of equity in a residence, or $43,000 for a married couple filing jointly when the home is in one spouse's name. The vehicle exemption is $5,000. Tools needed for work get $1,500 of protection. Jewelry is exempt up to $500.

A wildcard exemption of $1,200 can apply to any property. Up to $10,000 of unused homestead exemption can be added to the wildcard. Personal property is exempt up to $5,000 total, capped at $300 per item. Income sources that are fully exempt include Social Security, workers' compensation under O.C.G.A. 34-9-84, unemployment, veterans' benefits, and retirement accounts. Alimony and child support are protected too.

You need to live in Georgia for 730 days before filing to use these exemptions. Re-filing restrictions: eight years between Chapter 7 filings, four years from Chapter 7 to Chapter 13, two years between Chapter 13 filings.

Lee County State Records

The Lee County Superior Court Clerk in Leesburg handles state court matters. Civil cases, criminal records, deeds, liens, and property filings are all maintained at the county level. Bankruptcy records are not kept there. But a judgment lien filed in Lee County could appear as a claim in a federal bankruptcy petition. After discharge, the lien stays on county books until someone takes action to remove it.

The GSCCCA offers statewide online search for deed and lien records. Cross-checking GSCCCA data with PACER can give a fuller picture of a Lee County debtor's situation. The nearby city of Albany in neighboring Dougherty County is the largest urban center in the area and shares the same Middle District court.

Archived Lee County Bankruptcy Records

Very old cases get transferred from PACER to the National Archives. Call the Middle District clerk at 478-752-3506 to get the reference numbers needed for a NARA request: accession number, location, and box number. Then order copies directly from NARA. This takes longer than a PACER search, so plan ahead.

Nearby Counties

Lee County is in southwest Georgia. Its neighbors are all in the Middle District. The debtor's home address at the time of filing determines which county's records to search.