Macon County Bankruptcy Records

Macon County bankruptcy records go through the Middle District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court. Oglethorpe is the county seat, not to be confused with the city of Macon in neighboring Bibb County where the Middle District main office sits. This proximity means Macon County residents have easy access to the federal court for in-person record requests. All bankruptcy filings in Georgia are federal, so the local clerk in Oglethorpe does not maintain these records. This guide covers how to search Macon County bankruptcy records, the fees to expect, and what the different filing types mean.

Middle District Court Serving Macon County

The Middle District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court handles all Macon County bankruptcy filings. The main office is at 433 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201. Call 478-752-3506 for help. The Columbus office is at 901 Front Avenue, Columbus, GA 31902 (phone: 706-649-7837). Only these two locations are regularly staffed.

Kyle George is the Clerk. Chief Judge Austin E. Carter leads the court. The Macon office is close to Macon County, roughly 30 miles from Oglethorpe. Walk-ins can use public computer terminals to view bankruptcy records at no charge during regular business hours, Monday through Friday.

The city of Macon in Bibb County is the hub for federal court activity in this part of Georgia. Macon County residents benefit from that proximity.

Searching Macon County Bankruptcy Records

PACER is the primary online tool. Sign up for free. Search the Middle District by name or case number. The full docket for any Macon County bankruptcy case appears with every document, motion, and order. It costs $0.10 per page. PACER never shuts down.

The PACER Case Locator searches all federal courts at once. This is useful if a Macon County debtor filed in a different state or district. One search covers every court. Save your searches and bookmark cases.

Call McVCIS at 1-866-222-8029 for a free option. Choose the Middle District. Enter a name or number. The system gives you the debtor name, case number, judge, filing date, chapter, and status. It runs all day, every day. You will not get full documents, but it confirms if a filing exists.

Fees for Macon County Bankruptcy Records

PACER charges $0.10 per page. Viewing at public terminals in the Macon clerk office is free. Printing from those terminals costs $0.10 per page. Copies requested in person or by mail run $0.50 per page. Certified copies add $12.00 per document. A court search without a case number costs $34.00.

Submit Form B1320 with your payment for search requests. Make checks payable to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." Money orders and certified checks are accepted. Cash works at the counter.

Note: Quarterly PACER totals under $30 are waived automatically.

Bankruptcy Filing Types in Macon County

Macon County cases are filed under the federal Bankruptcy Code. Chapter 7 is the most common. It liquidates non-exempt property. A trustee sells assets and pays creditors with the proceeds. Remaining debts get discharged. Most Chapter 7 cases close in a few months.

Chapter 13 lets the filer keep property. They pay creditors through a three-to-five-year plan. A trustee collects monthly payments and distributes them. Chapter 11 covers business reorganizations. Chapter 12 is for family farmers and fishermen, a relevant category in rural Macon County. All filings create public court records you can access through PACER or at the Macon clerk office.

Georgia Exemptions for Macon County Filers

Georgia does not allow filers to use federal exemptions. Macon County residents must follow O.C.G.A. 44-13-100. The homestead exemption protects $21,500 in home equity. Married couples can double that to $43,000 under certain conditions. Vehicles are exempt up to $5,000. Trade tools are safe up to $1,500. Jewelry gets $500 of protection.

The wildcard is $1,200 for any property, plus up to $10,000 of unused homestead. Personal property totals $5,000 with a $300 per-item cap. Fully exempt income: Social Security, workers' compensation under O.C.G.A. 34-9-84, veterans' benefits, unemployment, retirement accounts, alimony, and child support.

Filers must live in Georgia for 730 days before using state exemptions. Re-filing rules: eight years between Chapter 7 filings, four years from Chapter 7 to Chapter 13, two years between Chapter 13 filings.

Macon County State Court Records

The Macon County Superior Court Clerk in Oglethorpe handles state court records including civil suits, criminal cases, deeds, liens, and property filings. Bankruptcy is not among them. State records can still connect to federal bankruptcy cases. A lien filed in Macon County might appear as a creditor claim. After the bankruptcy closes, the county lien remains until formally released.

The GSCCCA lets you search deed and lien records statewide. Using both GSCCCA and PACER together gives a clearer picture of a Macon County debtor's full financial situation.

Archived Macon County Bankruptcy Cases

Older closed cases are sent to the National Archives. For archived Macon County bankruptcy records, call the Macon office at 478-752-3506. Get the accession, location, and box numbers. Then order through NARA. This takes more time than PACER, so plan accordingly.

Nearby Counties

Macon County is in central-southwest Georgia. All bordering counties are in the Middle District. Confirm the debtor's address at the time they filed before searching bankruptcy records.