New York County Bankruptcy Records

New York County bankruptcy records are filed in the Southern District of New York, one of the busiest federal courts in the nation. The courthouse at One Bowling Green in lower Manhattan handles Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 cases from Manhattan and the Bronx. You can search New York County bankruptcy filings online through PACER or visit the courthouse to use free public access terminals. The county is also known as Manhattan. It is home to many high-profile corporate Chapter 11 cases. This page explains where to find and how to get copies of bankruptcy records filed in New York County.

New York County Bankruptcy Court

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York handles all bankruptcy cases from New York County. The Manhattan courthouse is at One Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004. The phone number is 212-668-2870. This court sees some of the largest bankruptcy cases in the country. Major corporate restructurings often file here because of the court's expertise with complex Chapter 11 cases.

The Southern District also has courthouses in White Plains and Poughkeepsie. But Manhattan cases stay in Manhattan. Public access terminals at the courthouse let you search case data for free. The Clerk's Office can help with record requests during business hours. Electronic filing through CM/ECF is mandatory for attorneys. Pro se debtors may file paper petitions.

The court offers Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing (DeBN) so debtors can get court notices by email. Unclaimed funds from closed cases can be searched through the court's website. Creditors can file proof of claim forms electronically through the ePOC system.

Search New York County Bankruptcy Records

PACER is the main tool for searching bankruptcy records filed in New York County. You can search by debtor name, case number, or Social Security number. The fee is $0.10 per page with a cap of $3.00 per document. Written opinions are free. If your quarterly charges stay under $30, the fees get waived.

The VCIS phone line at 866-222-8029 provides free case status information around the clock. It gives you the filing date, chapter, case status, discharge date, and trustee name. No documents though. For full case files, use PACER or visit One Bowling Green in person.

The PACER system provides online access to all New York County bankruptcy records filed in the Southern District.

The Southern District at One Bowling Green handles both individual and corporate bankruptcy filings from Manhattan.

New York County Clerk and Related Records

The New York County Clerk's Records Department is at 60 Centre Street, Room 103B, New York, NY 10007. Phone is 646-386-5942. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The Judgment and Lien Section is in Room 109B at 646-386-5940. Copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies run $8.00 per certification plus $0.25 per page.

Records from 1955 to 1984 are on microfiche. Records from 2015 forward are digitized. Off-site files from 1910 to 1954 need 2 to 3 business days for retrieval. Payment methods include cash, certified check, attorney check, credit card, and money order. No personal checks.

For property records in Manhattan, use the ACRIS system run by the NYC Department of Finance. ACRIS has deeds, mortgages, and UCC filings from 1966 to the present. Basic searches are free. Document images have fees. The eCourts portal covers state Supreme Court cases. NYSCEF at nycourts.gov/efile lets you search e-filed Supreme Court documents.

New York County Bankruptcy Exemptions

New York County falls in the highest homestead exemption tier. Under the amounts from the Department of Financial Services, Manhattan residents can protect up to $204,825 in home equity. This same tier covers all five NYC boroughs plus Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, and Putnam. The motor vehicle exemption is $5,500 above liens.

Under Section 282 of the Debtor and Creditor Law, filers must have lived in New York for 730 days before filing to use state exemptions. Social Security, unemployment, veterans' benefits, and workers' compensation are fully exempt. Retirement accounts are protected up to $1,711,975.

Archived New York County Bankruptcy Records

Older case files may be stored at the National Archives. Cases filed before June 16, 2003 and closed more than two years have been transferred. Get the tracking information from the Southern District court before contacting NARA. The New York State court records page can also help with state-level records that relate to federal bankruptcy filings.

Cities in New York County

New York County covers the borough of Manhattan in New York City.

Nearby Counties

These counties border New York County or are nearby in the metro area.