how easy is it to look up BK cases

[miss puff]

We are getting all our paperwork ready to file in July. I know that BK is public record and anyone can find out the information. I am just wondering though, if people are being nosey can they just log onto a state bankruptcy and just view names, and all your personal information that have recently filed BK or do you have to have some type of special websites and passwords? My husband is very worried about "everyone knowing" because it is public. I guess I am just wondering how public exactly it is. Anyone know? Thanks

[bkbiker]

Unfortunately with a name or S.S. it is relatively easy,

If anyone confronts you with this information, best to tell them politely NOYB,

Take care,
bkbiker

[Rover]

Does it really matter if anyone knows? No!

What matters is your own personal need to deal with your financial situation.

[anonymuse]

In PACER (an online database), people have to set up an account and pay for access. What is in PACER is not going to show up in some random search on google for your name. So, it's not as easy to look up as property tax records or recent sales.

Sometimes, on your state's bk pages, they will list the dockets for each judge and your name would appear there. But a lot of these sites appear to prevent the search engines from spidering them.

I haven't found this very often, but some newspapers (that must not have much news to print) have those tiny print listings somewhere near the classifieds where all kinds of transactions and notices are listed, but this seems rare.

I don't want to concern you by giving you this information, but just want you to be aware that there is potentially ways for people to find out--if they're nosy and very determined--but who would actually be that way?

You are doing what you need to do for your situation; you are not a criminal; we do not have debtor prison here.

If someone happens to find out and confronts you, quite frankly it's none of their business--it's not your fault that others may have the wrong perceptions largely built up by the media that a lot of bk filers abuse the system when in reality it's a very small percentage making the rest look bad.

Don't even worry about this--bk is stressful enough.

[alh]

A quote a heard that make more sense as I get older.

At 20 you worry about what everyone else thinks about you.

At 40 you don't give a damn what anybody thinks about you.

At 60 you realize, nobody has been thinking about you.


Anyway the other posters are right. If someone is determined and knows where to look they can find your filing. But they have to specifically be looking unless you are in a small town that publishes legal notices on the front page. (I used to live there)

[SinkingFast]

Our newspaper does print BK filings. Every Sunday.

There's a section where the paper posts the County Health Dept Restaurant check results, and some other "municipal" types of stuff. In the same section are all the listings of people who've filed for marriage licenses and divorces. And the BK cases filed.

But not everyone reads that stuff.

Our house was being advertised for Foreclosure. Also a small town where the property is located out of state. The guy who mowed our place for us last fall happened by the property and saw it needed to be cut. He called and asked if we wanted it taken care of. He didn't know we were in Foreclosure. Hadn't seen the ads.

As far as PACER goes,........... Typically only people filing BK in the general public know about PACER. Unless you have a friend who's an attny or a paralegal, no one you know, except folks who've filed BK in the last few years, is likely to even know PACER exists.

[miss puff]

Does it really matter if anyone knows? No!

Well......Yah I guess we are still at the part of bankrupty where we feel ashamed and kinda like failures. I know it will get better (thanks to all of you who offer great advice) and I agree that we need to do what we need to do to get in charge of our finances. If they find out, then they find out, there's nothing I can do about it. It's just not something I want a bunch of people to know about.

[SinkingFast]

Well......Yah I guess we are still at the part of bankrupty where we feel ashamed and kinda like failures. I know it will get better (thanks to all of you who offer great advice) and I agree that we need to do what we need to do to get in charge of our finances. If they find out, then they find out, there's nothing I can do about it. It's just not something I want a bunch of people to know about.

Miss P,.............

You are looking at financial desisions you made AT the time with the benefit of hindsight. Don't you know that hindsight is always 20/20??!!

Don't feel like a failure. You're not! You made the best decisions possible at the time with the information you had available. You were doing what you were taught to do. What you felt morally obligated to do. Pay your bills. Often times, hoping for the best and the best did not happen.

You worked and tried not to be here with the rest of us. Don't continue to beat yourself up over what you could not control.

I don't blame you one bit for not wanting everyone else to know your biz. It's Nunya! None of their business.

Just know that you are loved and supported here.

[Minnymouth]

Miss Puff,

Many of the people who would "talk about you" are probably in worse shape then you are...... your just doing something about it.......

If most people would "clean out their own closet", they would find some VERY HEALTHY SKELETONS..... lurking in there................

So never feel bad, about what you have to do........... your trying to solve the problem, and if BK is the only way to solve it........then so be it........

Remember, nobody pays your bills, but you..... so WHO ARE THEY to criticize!!

Do your self a favor...... and outgrow the idea...... that you owe the world an explanation for what you do in life........................

My thoughts,

[AMISLANDER]

A quote a heard that make more sense as I get older.

At 20 you worry about what everyone else thinks about you.

At 40 you don't give a damn what anybody thinks about you.

At 60 you realize, nobody has been thinking about you.


Anyway the other posters are right. If someone is determined and knows where to look they can find your filing. But they have to specifically be looking unless you are in a small town that publishes legal notices on the front page. (I used to live there)

RIGHT ON!!!!!

[miss puff]

Thanks all for all your support and kind words. I probably sound like I am being dramatic and down on myself all the time about BK. I really am not. I actually look forward to what I can do for myself and my financial situation after all is said and done. And your right, it's none of their business and my true friends will still be there in the end if they find out so I really don't know what we are getting ourselves all worked up about.

[shantaa]

Well, I google myself just to see what would come up. I never thought about the bankruptcy......Well, the first thing I saw was my name, trustee name and my lawyer's name for a petition to cancel, which was never done. I tried to open the article and I was blocked, but the damage was already done......

[miss puff]

Well, I google myself just to see what would come up. I never thought about the bankruptcy......Well, the first thing I saw was my name, trustee name and my lawyer's name for a petition to cancel, which was never done. I tried to open the article and I was blocked, but the damage was already done......

YIKES!!!!