Access Union County Bankruptcy Records
Union County bankruptcy records are maintained by the Northern District of Georgia federal court. The local clerk's office in Blairsville does not handle bankruptcy filings. Located in the North Georgia mountains, Union County falls under federal jurisdiction for all bankruptcy matters. Searching for case filings, docket entries, or court orders from Union County cases requires using federal tools like PACER or visiting a Northern District office. This page lays out every search method, the fees involved, and what types of records you can expect to find in the system.
Union County Quick Facts
Northern District Court Serving Union County
The Northern District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court handles Union County filings. It covers 46 counties in northern Georgia. The main office sits in the Richard B. Russell Federal Building, 75 Ted Turner Drive SW, Room 1340, Atlanta, GA 30303. Call (404) 215-1000 for general information.
Union County is in the far northeast corner of the state. Atlanta is the closest fully staffed office. The Gainesville divisional office may offer some services closer to Blairsville, but the Atlanta office is the primary hub for filing and records. Staff are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. They can pull up Union County cases, take payments, and provide copies of any court document on file.
How to Look Up Union County Bankruptcy Filings
Online searches through PACER are the most common method. Set up a free account and search for Union County cases by debtor name or case number. The full case file is available. That means petitions, schedules, creditor lists, motions, orders, and discharge documents. Each page you view or download costs $0.10.
The PACER Case Locator covers all federal courts nationally. Use it when you are not sure if the person filed in the Northern District or somewhere else. It pulls results from every bankruptcy court in the country.
McVCIS is a free phone service at 1-866-222-8029. It is available 24 hours a day. Select the Northern District of Georgia from the menu. Search by name or case number. The system gives you the filing date, chapter, judge name, trustee, attorney, and case status. This is a good first step before spending money on PACER.
Union County Bankruptcy Record Costs
Federal courts set uniform fees for bankruptcy records. These apply to every Union County case in the Northern District.
PACER charges $0.10 per page. Visiting the clerk's office and using public terminals is free for viewing, with printing at $0.10 per page. If you request copies by mail or in person, the cost goes up to $0.50 per page. Certified copies carry an extra $12.00 charge per document. When you do not have a case number, the court charges $34.00 to search their records using Form B1320.
Note: McVCIS phone searches are always free, though they only give basic case details.
Bankruptcy Types Filed in Union County
Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 are the main filings from Union County residents. Chapter 7 is liquidation. A trustee reviews the debtor's property and sells what is not protected by state exemptions. Many cases result in no assets being sold. The debtor gets a fresh start, and the case closes in about three or four months. Every filing generates a set of public records.
Chapter 13 is a repayment plan. The filer keeps their property and pays creditors over three to five years through a trustee. This path suits people in Union County who have steady income and want to hold on to their home or vehicle. Business owners may file under Chapter 11. Farm operations sometimes use Chapter 12. All chapters produce court records that are available for public access through the federal system.
Georgia Exemptions for Union County
Georgia requires all bankruptcy filers to use state exemptions rather than the federal list. Under O.C.G.A. 44-13-100, the homestead exemption protects $21,500 in equity. The vehicle exemption is $5,000. Tools of trade are covered up to $1,500, and jewelry gets $500. Personal property is exempt up to $5,000, with no single item valued over $300.
The wildcard exemption gives $1,200 that can go toward any asset. Unused homestead value, up to $10,000, adds to that. Income sources that are fully exempt include Social Security benefits, veterans benefits, unemployment compensation, workers' compensation under O.C.G.A. 34-9-84, and alimony or child support. Retirement accounts in 401(k) plans, IRAs, and pensions are protected too. These exemptions matter in every Union County case because they determine what creditors can claim.
Archived Cases and Related Records
When a Union County bankruptcy case has been closed for a number of years, it may be transferred off PACER and sent to the National Archives. To get those files, contact the Northern District clerk at (404) 215-1000. They will give you the accession number, location number, and box number required by NARA. Requesting archived records takes longer than pulling current files, so plan for extra time.
State court records for Union County are kept by the Superior Court Clerk in Blairsville. These include civil cases, criminal filings, deeds, and liens. The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority has a statewide search tool for county records. Looking at both state and federal records gives a more complete view when bankruptcy and state matters overlap, such as liens on property or pending lawsuits.
Refiling Limits for Union County Debtors
Federal law under 11 U.S.C. sets strict time limits between filings. A Chapter 7 discharge blocks another Chapter 7 for eight years. After a Chapter 7, four years must pass before filing Chapter 13. Two Chapter 13 filings must be spaced at least two years apart. These rules apply to all Union County residents and affect what shows up in the court records.
Nearby Counties
Union County is in the Blue Ridge mountains of north Georgia. Its neighbors are also in the Northern District for bankruptcy purposes. Towns County to the east and Fannin County to the west are the closest.