Winston-Salem Bankruptcy Records
Winston-Salem bankruptcy records are handled by the Middle District of North Carolina. The court has a division office right in Winston-Salem at the Hiram H. Ward Federal Building on South Liberty Street. Winston-Salem is a key city in the Piedmont Triad region and the county seat of Forsyth County. Residents who need to find bankruptcy records in Winston-Salem can search through PACER online, visit the federal courthouse, or call the VCIS phone line for free case status information.
Winston-Salem Bankruptcy Quick Facts
Winston-Salem Bankruptcy Court Location
The Winston-Salem Division of the Middle District Bankruptcy Court is in the Hiram H. Ward Federal Building at 226 South Liberty Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. The phone number is (336) 397-7787. This office provides full bankruptcy court services for Forsyth County and nearby counties in the Middle District.
The Winston-Salem office has public access terminals. You can use them to search for bankruptcy records free of charge. The terminals let you look up cases by name or case number. Court staff can help direct you to the right terminal. The Middle District also has offices in Greensboro and Durham. The main district phone is (336) 358-4000. All three offices share the same case database.
Note: The Winston-Salem bankruptcy court is part of the Middle District, which covers 24 counties in central North Carolina.
Searching Winston-Salem Bankruptcy Filings
PACER is the go-to tool for searching Winston-Salem bankruptcy records online. Sign up for a free account. Search by debtor name or case number. Documents cost ten cents per page, capped at three dollars each. If your total for the quarter stays under thirty dollars, the fees are waived. PACER works for all cases in the Middle District.
You can also get free case data by calling VCIS at 866-222-8029. The automated phone system is available every day at all hours. It tells you the filing date, chapter type, trustee, and whether the case is still open or has been closed. You need the debtor's name or case number to run a search. VCIS covers all three North Carolina bankruptcy districts.
The City of Winston-Salem website handles municipal records like city codes and council minutes. Bankruptcy records are federal and are not on the city site. For those, stick with PACER or the courthouse.
Winston-Salem Records and Local Resources
The City of Winston-Salem offers online services for property tax data, business licenses, and public records requests. The City Clerk's Office at 101 North Main Street maintains official city documents. Their phone is 336-727-2051. While these city records do not include bankruptcy filings, property tax data and municipal liens may be part of a Winston-Salem bankruptcy case.
The Forsyth County Clerk of Superior Court at 200 North Main Street handles state court records. Phone: 336-779-6300. Judgments, liens, and civil case data are available there. The Forsyth County Register of Deeds at 201 North Chestnut Street keeps property records, including deeds and mortgages. Phone: 336-703-2700. Both offices hold records that may connect to bankruptcy filings in Winston-Salem.
The Forsyth County public records request system lets you ask for county documents online. The NC eCourts portal covers Forsyth County state court cases. Neither system includes federal bankruptcy records from Winston-Salem.
Public Access to Winston-Salem Bankruptcy Cases
Federal law makes bankruptcy records public. Under 11 U.S.C. Section 107, most documents in a bankruptcy case can be viewed by anyone. The court protects certain personal data, but the financial substance of Winston-Salem bankruptcy records is open. This includes the debtor's assets, debts, and the final case outcome.
A Winston-Salem bankruptcy file usually has the petition, financial schedules, a list of creditors, the trustee's report, and the discharge or dismissal order. Chapter 13 files include the repayment plan. Chapter 7 files may have the means test. All of these are available on PACER or at the Winston-Salem courthouse terminals.
For a statewide look at bankruptcy records, North Carolina State Records offers a guide to filings across all three federal districts. The site has links to court resources and general information about how bankruptcy records work in the state.
Note: Winston-Salem bankruptcy records from 2003 forward are on PACER, while older files may need a written request to the clerk's office.
Forsyth County Bankruptcy Records
Winston-Salem is the county seat of Forsyth County. The Middle District Bankruptcy Court's Winston-Salem office processes all federal bankruptcy cases for Forsyth County residents. For more details on the county court and related records, visit the Forsyth County page.