Find Screven County Bankruptcy Records

Screven County bankruptcy records are filed through the Southern District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court. Sylvania is the county seat, but the local courthouse only handles state court matters. For bankruptcy filings, you need to search the federal system. PACER gives you full online access to docket sheets, court orders, and every document in a Screven County bankruptcy case. The free McVCIS phone line can give you basic case details. You can also visit the nearest staffed court office in Savannah or Augusta. Here is what you need to know about finding and accessing these records.

Southern District Court for Screven County

The Southern District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court processes all bankruptcy filings from Screven County. The court has staffed offices in three locations: Savannah at 124 Barnard Street, Augusta at the Federal Justice Center on 600 James Brown Blvd, and Brunswick at 801 Gloucester Street. For Screven County, either Savannah or Augusta would be the closest office to visit.

There is also a hearing location in Statesboro, which is nearer to Sylvania. But the Statesboro office is not always staffed. It only opens when hearings are scheduled there. For any in-person records work, the Savannah office at (912) 650-4100 or the Augusta office at (706) 823-6000 is the better choice. Chief Judge Michele J. Kim leads the Southern District. Dana M. Wilson is the Clerk of Court.

Searching Screven County Bankruptcy Records Online

PACER is the primary tool. It is free to register. Once in, select the Southern District of Georgia and run a search by name or case number. The system returns the full docket, all filed documents, and the current case status. PACER charges $0.10 per page. It works 24 hours a day from any device with web access.

When you don't know which court has the case, the PACER Case Locator searches all federal courts at once. Type in a name and it pulls up matching cases from every district in the country. You can save frequent searches and bookmark cases you want to track over time.

McVCIS offers another way in. Dial 1-866-222-8029 for free. The automated system tells you the debtor name, case number, chapter type, filing date, assigned judge, trustee, and case status. It runs around the clock. Choose the Southern District of Georgia from the menu to find Screven County cases.

Screven County Record Fees

PACER costs $0.10 per page for everything you view or download. Most standard documents from Screven County cases cost $3.00 or less. At the clerk office, public terminals let you view records free. Printing is $0.10 per page.

Mail or in-person copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies add $12.00 to each document. Need the court to search without a case number? That is $34.00 per search. Fill out Form B1320 and mail it with payment to the Savannah or Augusta office. Payment should be a money order or certified check payable to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court."

Screven County Bankruptcy Exemptions

Georgia requires its own exemptions for bankruptcy filers. The federal exemptions do not apply here. Under O.C.G.A. 44-13-100, the homestead exemption covers $21,500 in equity. A vehicle is safe up to $5,000. Work tools are protected up to $1,500, and jewelry up to $500. The wildcard starts at $1,200 and can be increased by up to $10,000 of unused homestead value.

Income sources like Social Security, workers' compensation under O.C.G.A. 34-9-84, veterans benefits, and unemployment pay are fully exempt in Screven County bankruptcy cases. Retirement accounts are also safe. To claim Georgia exemptions, you must have lived in the state for at least 730 days before filing. Filers who recently moved to Screven County might be subject to a different state's rules.

The Southern District case information page above explains how to access records online and by phone.

Bankruptcy Filing Types in Screven County

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 are the most common filings in Screven County. Chapter 7 is liquidation. The trustee sells assets that are not exempt and pays creditors. Chapter 13 lets the debtor keep property while paying debts over three to five years through a court-managed plan.

Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 are less frequent. Chapter 11 is mainly for businesses that want to reorganize. Chapter 12 helps family farmers and fishermen. Given the rural nature of Screven County, Chapter 12 filings may appear more than in urban areas. All filings go through Title 11 of the United States Code. Time limits between filings are eight years for Chapter 7 to Chapter 7, four years for Chapter 7 to Chapter 13, and two years for Chapter 13 to Chapter 13.

Screven County State Court Records

The Screven County Superior Court Clerk in Sylvania manages civil cases, criminal records, deeds, and liens. These are state-level records and separate from federal bankruptcy filings. However, liens or judgments from Screven County state court can show up in a bankruptcy case. Checking both systems gives you a more complete picture.

The GSCCCA portal provides statewide access to deed records and UCC filings, including those from Screven County.

Note: The Screven County clerk office does not store or release federal bankruptcy records.

Old Screven County Bankruptcy Cases

Cases closed long ago are stored with the National Archives. You need a case number, accession number, location number, and box number to request records from NARA. Call the Savannah clerk office at (912) 650-4100 or Augusta at (706) 823-6000 to get those details. Once you have the info, NARA handles the order. Expect the process to take a few weeks.

Nearby Counties

Screven County is in east-central Georgia. Its neighbors are all in the Southern District. The Statesboro hearing office is nearby, but it is not always open, so plan to use the Savannah or Augusta offices for records requests.