Montgomery County Bankruptcy Filings

Montgomery County bankruptcy records are handled entirely by the federal court system. The Southern District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court manages all filings from this rural southeast Georgia county. Mount Vernon is the county seat, but the courthouse there does not keep bankruptcy documents. To look up Montgomery County bankruptcy cases, residents can go through PACER, call McVCIS at no cost, or visit one of the Southern District's staffed offices. Case records are public and can be pulled up at any hour through the court's online tools.

Southern District Court and Montgomery County

Montgomery County falls within the Southern District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court. This district covers 43 counties along the eastern and southeastern parts of the state. The court has three regularly staffed offices. Augusta is at the Federal Justice Center, 600 James Brown Blvd, Augusta, GA 30901, with a phone number of (706) 823-6000. Savannah is at 124 Barnard Street, Second Floor, Savannah, GA 31401, reachable at (912) 650-4100. Brunswick is at 801 Gloucester Street, Third Floor, Brunswick, GA 31520, with the number (912) 280-1376.

The Southern District also has offices in Dublin, Statesboro, and Waycross. Dublin is the closest to Montgomery County. But these locations are not always staffed. They open only when hearings are scheduled. If you need to mail filings or send a records request for Montgomery County cases, use the Augusta or Savannah mailing addresses.

Chief Judge Michele J. Kim leads the Southern District. Dana M. Wilson is the Clerk of Court. The Southern District case information page explains how to access Montgomery County bankruptcy records through the court's systems.

How to Look Up Montgomery County Records

PACER is the primary tool. Create a free account and search for Montgomery County bankruptcy records by debtor name or case number. You get docket sheets, document images, and full case details. Each page viewed costs $0.10. Single documents of 30 pages or less cap at $3.00. The system never closes.

The PACER Case Locator is useful when you want to search across all federal courts. Maybe someone lived in Montgomery County but filed in a different district. The case locator shows results from every court in the nation. It saves time and makes sure you find what you need.

For free access, dial McVCIS at 1-866-222-8029. Follow the prompts for the Southern District of Georgia. The automated voice reads out the debtor name, case number, filing date, chapter, judge, trustee, and status. It works from any phone, any time of day. There is no fee.

Note: McVCIS data is general information, not the official court record.

Fees for Montgomery County Court Records

PACER access is $0.10 per page. Public terminal viewing at any staffed office is free. Printing from those terminals runs $0.10 per page as well.

Copies requested by mail or in person cost $0.50 per page. Certification adds $12.00 per document. A records search when you don't have the case number costs $34.00. You submit Form B1320 with payment by money order or certified check to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." These fee amounts apply across the Southern District, including all Montgomery County cases.

Montgomery County Bankruptcy Exemptions

Georgia requires its residents to use state exemptions instead of the federal ones. O.C.G.A. 44-13-100 lays out what Montgomery County filers can protect. The homestead exemption covers up to $21,500 in equity. Married couples may claim up to $43,000 under certain conditions. A motor vehicle is protected up to $5,000.

Personal property gets a $5,000 total cap, though no single item can exceed $300 in value. Jewelry is safe up to $500. Tools needed for work are exempt up to $1,500. The wildcard exemption offers $1,200 to put toward any asset. If you don't use the full homestead amount, up to $10,000 of that unused portion can be added to the wildcard. This matters a lot in Montgomery County, where some residents rent rather than own their homes.

Income that is fully exempt includes Social Security, veterans benefits, unemployment compensation, and workers comp under O.C.G.A. 34-9-84. Child support and alimony are also protected. Retirement accounts like IRAs and 401(k) plans have no dollar cap on the exemption. To use Georgia's exemptions, you must have been a Georgia resident for at least 730 days before the filing date.

State Records at the Montgomery County Clerk

The Montgomery County Superior Court Clerk in Mount Vernon maintains state court filings. Civil suits, criminal cases, property deeds, and lien records are all handled there. These are separate from bankruptcy filings, but they sometimes tie together. A property deed in Montgomery County might reference a bankruptcy court order. A judgment lien could appear in both the state records and the bankruptcy case docket.

You can search Montgomery County state records through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority website. It covers deed records, lien filings, and other documents for every county in Georgia. Use this alongside PACER if you need both state and federal records for a Montgomery County resident.

Below is the Southern District homepage where Montgomery County bankruptcy case information is available.

The Southern District site includes links to case search functions, filing procedures, and contact details for each of its divisional offices.

Archived Montgomery County Cases

After several years, closed bankruptcy cases from the Southern District are transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration. If you need an old Montgomery County filing, start by calling the clerk office. They will supply the accession number, box number, and location code. You then order copies from NARA directly.

It can take a few weeks to get the records. Having the case number helps speed things along. Without it, you pay the $34.00 search fee. Some older Montgomery County cases have been removed from PACER entirely, so NARA may be the only source.

Nearby Counties

Montgomery County borders a cluster of counties in southeast Georgia. Several of them fall within the Southern District as well.