***pls dont use freecourtdocuments for status check ***

[johny]

momisery..i fully tend to agree with you...thats why i decided to start this thread...i am kinda screwed but i dont want anyone else in this situvation..all of us want to get a fresh start after bk which in itself leaves a painful scar...we dont need further setbacks in our process of starting afresh...

unfortunately my namesearch on google shows the link on the very first page...my wife's is even worse ..its the first link on the first page...no other links in her name....and a search of either of our names in any combination shows this link...since we are joint filers.

as music12 has rightly posted ....

" i never signed up for free sites only because i saw a different one, "recap", where i saw an actual explanation that said they keep any document you view for other viewers as well. once i saw that, i decided not to look anywhere but pacer. i don't know if the terms and conditions for these free sites are clear enough, and i think a big disclaimer here as a sticky would be a very, very good idea: even if it saves one forum-reader from unnecessary embarrassment, it is worth it. not everybody reads and/or understand these
types of terms and conditions, and they really should not end up paying for it."

cld'nt agree more...even if it saves one forum-reader ...the main idea of this thread..

for those of us who r already stuck i just hope this doesn;t tag on to the other search crawels like msn/yahoo/ask/zaba search...and so on...i guess its just a matter of time before its on all search sites...

like one poster mentioned it lasts on our credit reports for 10 yrs available to private searches but once in the public domain it lasts forever and is avialable to one and all..what a joke!

i am now trying to push this link to the 2nd or 3rd page in google..for this to happen we need to create as much positive info abt ourselves and start posting it in various blogs that get hit frequently..have registered and posted my bio on linkedin, myspace, i plaxo, facebook and so on..but i guess it takes time..i was told anywhere betn 3 to 6 months....and even if it does there is no guarantee that it will stay behind...it all depends on the crawlers and how often they do their serch..also freecourtdockets site has so many hits that google notices that and brings any links related to that site on page 1

also looking at some online reputation defender sites...but looks like most of them are spams...and do cost quite a bit.

any ideas and suggestions r more than welcome..

johny

[Bell30656]

Bankruptcy is public information as is criminal convictions and civil suits. These sites just help make the stuff more accessible. At any time you want to you can go to the courthouse and check out any document in any case unless the case is under seal or a juvenile is involved.

[HHM]

Although the information is accessible at the court, someone needs to be motivated to go get it. In geneal, a BK doesn't show up in a name search on google. Reason being, the firms that collect information such as BK info, want to charge someone to access that info, so generally, a randomn name search will not pull up a BK.

If someone wanted to find out you filed BK, they would practically need to know you already filed BK in order to even do an effective search.

So yes, this info about this website is somewhat disturbing.

[tdawg]

It does appear to move back in order though. The first day I went into google I notice it was on page one, now it is page two if when you refine the search. But then the names are not something we post ever, and we have common names so they show up with a variety of spellings, both first and last names are so common that google is full of them. I hope that helps, but what is done is done, and I am sorry for everyone else too that are on google now. These sites need to be shut down if they continuet to spew out private information. I know they are hiding behind the "public" knowledge clause, but those laws were in effect decades ago, the electronic age should adjust.

This might not be what you're looking for, but you can create more of an online presence which might enable you to "drown out" those results. For example, if you purchase a domain name which is based on your name and put your name in the metadata, and also post onto bulletin boards, etc. with your name frequently then you might be able to make it so those results will show up first (no one usually ever goes to the second page of searches, so as long as the freereport one gets to 11 or higher, you're good).

[music12]

hiding behind the "public knowledge" clause is something that really gets me very upset. it's true that anything in court is public information. but the intent was to make the law and precedents available to people who might find themselves in a similar situation so they can research what the law says about it. the intent was also to ensure that things are not done in secret, because that can become abusive - a public trial is a person's right. but the intent was never, ever to make it so that someone who filed for bk would be exposed as such to the world. why should someone who just, say, wants to get somebody's address or phone number online end up finding out that they filed bk? they weren't looking for legal information yet it's being shoved down their throats.

i think court documents should be searchable by everything but a person's name.

i could go on forever...

[Bell30656]

In many towns anyone that files bankruptcy finds that information actually listed in the local newspaper. Lucky for me, my local newspaper doesn't.

[music12]

mine doesn't either. lucky indeed. they really should stop listing it in papers. it serves no purpose. those who need to know, like creditors, already get notification.