Find Morgan County Bankruptcy Records
Morgan County bankruptcy records are filed through the federal court system, not the local courthouse in Madison. The Middle District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court has jurisdiction over all bankruptcy cases originating in this county. Searching for Morgan County bankruptcy filings can be done online with PACER, by phone through the free McVCIS system, or in person at the clerk office in Macon. The court also holds hearings in Athens, which is closer to Morgan County. All records are public and accessible through electronic tools at any time.
Morgan County Quick Facts
Middle District Court Serving Morgan County
Morgan County is part of the Middle District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court. This district spans 69 counties. The main office is in Macon at the Thomas Jefferson Federal Building, 433 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201. Phone: 478-752-3506. A second staffed office is at One Arsenal Place, 901 Front Avenue, Columbus, GA 31902, reachable at 706-649-7837.
The Middle District holds hearings in Athens at the U.S. Courthouse, 115 East Hancock Avenue. Athens is much closer to Morgan County than Macon. However, the Athens office is only open for scheduled hearings. It has no regular staff on site. All new filings from Morgan County residents should be sent by mail to the Macon office. Chief Judge Austin E. Carter presides over the district. Kyle George is the Clerk of Court.
Searching Morgan County Bankruptcy Cases
PACER gives you online access to Morgan County bankruptcy records any time. Registration is free. Search by debtor name or case number. You get back docket sheets, filed documents, and case summaries. The fee is $0.10 per page, capped at $3.00 for single documents of 30 pages or less.
When the filing district is uncertain, the PACER Case Locator searches every federal court at once. Enter a name and see results from all districts. This helps locate Morgan County residents who may have filed elsewhere before moving here.
For a free option, call McVCIS at 1-866-222-8029. Select the Middle District of Georgia. The system reads out the debtor name, case number, filing date, chapter type, assigned judge, trustee, and case status. No registration needed. No cost. Works around the clock.
Note: McVCIS provides general data and is not a substitute for official court records.
Morgan County Bankruptcy Fees
PACER runs $0.10 per page. Free viewing is available on public computer terminals at the Macon office. Printing from those terminals costs $0.10 per page.
Mail or in-person copy requests cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies add $12.00 each. A records search without a case number is $34.00 per search. You need to fill out Form B1320 and include payment by money order or certified check made to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." All these fees apply to Morgan County cases in the Middle District.
Georgia Bankruptcy Exemptions for Morgan County
Georgia opted out of the federal exemption scheme. Morgan County filers use the state exemptions listed in O.C.G.A. 44-13-100. Home equity is protected up to $21,500. Married couples filing together may claim up to $43,000 if the home is in one spouse's name. A vehicle is exempt up to $5,000.
Personal property gets a $5,000 cap, with each item limited to $300. Jewelry is protected to $500. Trade tools get a $1,500 shield. The wildcard exemption provides $1,200 for any asset. Up to $10,000 of unused homestead exemption can be added to it. This is a major benefit for Morgan County renters who have no home equity to claim.
Income sources that are fully protected include Social Security, veterans benefits, unemployment pay, workers comp (O.C.G.A. 34-9-84), and alimony or child support payments. Retirement accounts are also fully exempt. The 730-day residency rule applies. If you haven't lived in Georgia that long, you may need to use the exemption rules from your previous state.
Morgan County Clerk and Related State Filings
The Morgan County Superior Court Clerk in Madison handles all state-level records. Civil cases, criminal matters, property deeds, and lien recordings go through that office. None of these are bankruptcy filings. But state records can relate to a bankruptcy case. A deed recorded in Morgan County might be part of a bankruptcy estate. A judgment lien in the state system could show up in the debtor's federal filing.
Search Morgan County state records through the GSCCCA online portal. It covers deeds, liens, and other public documents for all Georgia counties. Pair it with PACER to get both the state and federal picture for a Morgan County resident.
The Middle District court homepage is shown below, where Morgan County residents access bankruptcy case search tools and filing information.
This court portal provides direct links to electronic filing, case lookup, and fee information for all Morgan County bankruptcy matters.
Archived Morgan County Bankruptcy Records
Closed cases from the Middle District eventually move to the National Archives and Records Administration. To get an archived Morgan County case, call the Macon clerk office at 478-752-3506 first. They give you the accession number, box number, and location code needed for the NARA request. Processing usually takes several weeks.
Without a case number, expect to pay the $34.00 search fee. Some older Morgan County bankruptcy records have been removed from PACER entirely, so NARA is the only place to find them.
Nearby Counties
Morgan County is surrounded by several counties in the northeast-central part of the state. Some fall in the Middle District while others are in the Northern District.