Knox County Bankruptcy Records

Knox County bankruptcy records are maintained by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, which has its primary Northern Division courthouse right here in Knoxville. Knox County residents have the advantage of direct local access to the federal courthouse, the clerk's office, and public records terminals without traveling to another city. This page covers how to search Knox County bankruptcy cases online and in person, what the records contain, and what related local resources are available.

Eastern District Bankruptcy Courthouse in Knoxville

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Northern Division, is located in Knoxville at the Howard H. Baker Jr. U.S. Courthouse, 800 Market Street, Suite 330, Knoxville, TN 37902. Phone: (865) 545-4279. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The court is closed on federal holidays.

Because the bankruptcy courthouse is in Knox County, local residents can visit without a long drive. Public terminals at the clerk's office allow free access to PACER for in-house record viewing. Attorneys file electronically through the CM/ECF system. Pro se filers -- those without a lawyer -- can bring paper petitions to the clerk's window during business hours. Staff can accept filings and provide procedural information but cannot give legal advice.

The Eastern District of Tennessee Bankruptcy Court website has local court rules, forms, filing guides, and trustee information. You can download all bankruptcy petition forms from this site at no cost. The site also lists the case management system and how to register for electronic notices if you are a creditor or other party in an active case.

For quick phone-based case status checks, the Voice Case Information System is free and available at any hour. Call 1-866-222-8029 and press extension 813 for the Eastern District. The automated system gives case type, filing date, status, and discharge information for cases you identify by name or case number. No registration or account is needed.

Knox County Circuit Court Clerk

Knox County has two state court clerk offices that are relevant to financial and debt-related records. The Circuit Court Clerk, Charles D. Susano III, maintains state civil case files at the City County Building, 400 Main Street, Suite M30, Knoxville, TN 37902. The phone number for the Circuit Court Clerk's office is (865) 215-2429.

The Knox Circuit Records portal provides online access to state civil case records from April 2015 forward. Subscriptions cost $120 for a three-month period, plus a $2.50 card processing fee. This portal is separate from PACER and covers only Knox County state court civil filings. Copy fees at the Circuit Court Clerk's office are $1.00 per page. Certified copies cost an additional $5.00.

The Knox County Circuit Court Clerk office handles civil cases, which can include debt collection suits, judgment entries, and lien filings that sometimes precede or accompany a federal bankruptcy case.

Civil judgment records from the Circuit Court Clerk can be critical context when researching a debtor's full situation. A creditor may have obtained a state court judgment before the debtor filed for federal bankruptcy protection. That judgment lien would appear as a secured claim in the bankruptcy case.

Knox County Criminal Court Clerk and Online Records

The Knox County Criminal Court Clerk, Mike Hammond, is located at the same City County Building. The phone number is (865) 215-2375. Criminal records from Knox County are maintained by this office and are accessible through the court's online records portal. Copy fees are 50 cents per page at the Criminal Court Clerk's office.

The Knox County Criminal Court Clerk office maintains criminal case records for Knoxville and Knox County. While criminal records are not directly part of bankruptcy proceedings, they can be relevant in cases involving fraud allegations, asset concealment, or related legal matters.

Online records access for Knox County criminal court cases is available through the court's public portal. This system allows searches without visiting the courthouse in person.

The Knox County Criminal Court online records portal provides searchable access to criminal court case information filed in Knox County courts.

For additional court record access, the Knox County court public records portal consolidates links to multiple court systems within Knox County for easier navigation.

The Knox County court public records portal provides a central starting point for accessing various Knox County court records systems.

Using both the state court clerk resources and PACER together gives the most complete view of financial and legal records for Knox County individuals and businesses.

Searching Knox County Bankruptcy Cases on PACER

PACER is the primary online system for searching all federal court records, including Knox County bankruptcy filings. Create a free account at pacer.uscourts.gov. Once registered, log in and go to the Eastern District of Tennessee case search. You can search by debtor name, attorney name, or case number.

Search results list the chapter filed, filing date, and case status. Clicking into a case opens the full docket. Every document on the docket can be downloaded at 10 cents per page, capped at $3.00 per document. If your total quarterly charges stay below $30, that quarter is free. Researchers who do a handful of searches each quarter often pay nothing at all.

The PACER Case Locator searches all federal districts simultaneously. It is useful when you are looking for someone who may have filed bankruptcy in another state or in a different Tennessee district before moving to Knox County. The Locator links directly to full dockets in PACER once a case is found.

Knox County generates a large volume of bankruptcy filings given its population. Searching by a common last name may return many results. Narrowing by first name, middle initial, or zip code can help. If you have a case number, a direct case lookup is faster and more precise than a name search.

What Knox County Bankruptcy Records Include

The petition is the core filing. It names the debtor, lists their address, and states the chapter. Attached to the petition are a full set of schedules: assets including real property and personal property, all debts broken down by type, monthly income, and monthly living expenses. A creditor matrix lists every party owed money with mailing addresses for court notices.

The docket grows as the case moves. Creditors file proofs of claim. The trustee reviews assets and liabilities and may file objections. Hearings are noticed and orders are entered. The mandatory 341 meeting of creditors -- where the debtor answers questions under oath -- is scheduled and its report filed afterward.

Chapter 13 cases include the proposed repayment plan and any amendments. A confirmation order is entered once the plan is approved. Monthly payments to the trustee are tracked throughout the plan period.

The case closes with either a discharge order or dismissal. A discharge eliminates personal liability on qualifying debts. A dismissal ends the case without a discharge. Both are public documents. Under 11 U.S.C. Section 107, bankruptcy records are public. Social Security numbers appear only as the last four digits in public filings. Courts can seal documents by order, but this is not routine in standard cases.

Chapter Types, Fees, and Tennessee Law

Chapter 7 costs $338. It is the most common consumer option. Eligible unsecured debts are wiped out after a means test confirms income qualifies. The process takes three to four months. Chapter 13 costs $313 and uses a three-to-five year repayment plan. Homeowners with past-due mortgage payments often choose it to catch up over time and save their home. Chapter 11 is $1,717 and is used mainly by businesses or high-debt individuals. Chapter 12, for family farmers and fishermen, carries a $278 fee.

Low-income Chapter 7 filers can apply to pay in installments or request a full waiver if income is below 150% of the federal poverty line. Both options are filed with the initial petition.

Tennessee state court records in Knox County fall under Tennessee Code Annotated Section 10-7-503, which gives any person the right to inspect and copy government records held by public agencies, including court clerks, unless a specific exemption applies.

For older Knox County bankruptcy records archived off PACER, the National Archives Southeast Region facility in Atlanta holds retired Tennessee federal court files. Requests take several weeks and may include copy fees for paper records. The clerk's office in Knoxville can confirm whether a specific case has been transferred to NARA.

Cities in Knox County

Knox County includes several incorporated cities with qualifying populations. Bankruptcy cases for residents of these cities are filed with the same Eastern District court in Knoxville.

Nearby Counties

Knox County borders several East Tennessee counties, all of which are also served by the Eastern District of Tennessee Bankruptcy Court.