Pierce County Bankruptcy Court Records

Pierce County bankruptcy records are handled by the federal courts, not the local courthouse in Blackshear. The Southern District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court manages every filing from this southeast Georgia county. To search Pierce County bankruptcy records, you have three options: PACER online, the free McVCIS phone system, or in-person access at one of the Southern District's staffed offices. The Brunswick and Waycross offices are the closest to Pierce County. Records are public and available through electronic systems around the clock.

Southern District Court and Pierce County

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

Brunswick is the closest staffed office to Pierce County. The Waycross office at 601 Tebeau Street is even closer geographically but is not always staffed. It only opens for scheduled hearings. Mail correspondence for Pierce County cases should go to the Brunswick office.

Chief Judge Michele J. Kim presides over the Southern District. Dana M. Wilson serves as Clerk. Visit the case information page for details on accessing Pierce County records.

How to Find Pierce County Bankruptcy Records

PACER is the primary way to search Pierce County bankruptcy records online. Registration is free. Enter a debtor name or case number and view docket sheets, filed documents, and case details. Each page costs $0.10. Single documents of 30 pages or fewer cap at $3.00. The system never shuts down.

Use the PACER Case Locator when you want to check every federal court at once. Maybe someone lived in Pierce County but filed in the Middle or Northern District. The case locator searches nationwide and shows all matching results.

McVCIS is free. Dial 1-866-222-8029 and select the Southern District of Georgia. You get the debtor name, case number, chapter type, filing date, judge, trustee, and case status. Available from any phone, 24 hours a day, no fee.

Note: McVCIS provides general information only, not official court records.

Pierce County Bankruptcy Fees

PACER access is $0.10 per page. Viewing records on public terminals at the Brunswick or Savannah office costs nothing. Printing from those terminals runs $0.10 per page.

Copies by mail or in person cost $0.50 per page. Certification adds $12.00 per document. A records search without a case number is $34.00. Fill out Form B1320 and pay with a money order or certified check to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." These fees cover all Pierce County bankruptcy cases in the Southern District.

Georgia Exemptions for Pierce County Filers

Georgia has opted out of federal bankruptcy exemptions. Pierce County residents must use the state exemptions found in O.C.G.A. 44-13-100. Homestead protection is $21,500 for an individual. Married couples filing jointly can claim $43,000 when the property is in one name. The vehicle exemption is $5,000.

Personal property has a $5,000 total exemption with a $300 per-item cap. Jewelry gets $500 protection. Tools of the trade are safe to $1,500. The wildcard is $1,200. If you don't claim the full homestead exemption, up to $10,000 of the unused amount can stack on the wildcard. Pierce County renters get the most value from this feature.

Fully exempt income includes Social Security, veterans benefits, workers comp under O.C.G.A. 34-9-84, unemployment pay, and child support or alimony. Retirement accounts are protected with no dollar limit. You need 730 days of Georgia residency to use these state exemptions when filing.

Bankruptcy Types in Pierce County

Most Pierce County cases are Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. Chapter 7 is a liquidation. Non-exempt property is sold by a trustee. Qualifying debt is then discharged. It finishes in three to six months for most filers.

Chapter 13 sets up a repayment plan over three to five years. Debtors keep their property while paying back creditors under court oversight. This works for Pierce County residents with steady income who need to protect a home or vehicle. Chapter 12 applies to family farmers and fishermen. Pierce County has agricultural operations, so Chapter 12 filings happen here. Chapter 11 is for businesses and larger reorganizations but is uncommon in a small county.

Pierce County Clerk and State Records

The Pierce County Superior Court Clerk in Blackshear handles state records. Civil cases, criminal filings, property deeds, and liens are managed there. These are separate from bankruptcy records. But a property lien recorded in Pierce County could show up in a bankruptcy filing. A deed transfer might result from a bankruptcy court order affecting land in the county.

The GSCCCA provides online access to Pierce County state records. You can search deeds, liens, and other documents there. Use GSCCCA alongside PACER when you need both state and federal records for a Pierce County resident.

The Southern District court homepage below is where Pierce County residents access bankruptcy case search tools and filing information.

From this site you reach case lookup functions, contact details for each divisional office, and fee schedules.

Archived Pierce County Cases

Closed cases from the Southern District are transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration after a period of years. For an archived Pierce County filing, call the Brunswick clerk at (912) 280-1376 first. They give you the accession number, box number, and location code. Then order from NARA directly.

Delivery takes a few weeks. Without a case number, the $34.00 search fee applies. Some older Pierce County cases are no longer available on PACER and can only be obtained from NARA.

Nearby Counties

Pierce County is in southeast Georgia. All neighboring counties fall within the Southern District.