Access Odessa Bankruptcy Records
Odessa bankruptcy records are filed with the Western District of Texas Bankruptcy Court, Midland-Odessa Division. Ector County, where Odessa is located, falls under this division, which covers a large area of West Texas. The Midland-Odessa Division is unstaffed, meaning cases are administered through the Western District offices in Austin or San Antonio rather than from a local clerk's office. You can search Odessa bankruptcy filings through PACER or contact the Western District directly for assistance.
Odessa Overview
Odessa Federal Bankruptcy Court
Odessa is served by the Western District of Texas Bankruptcy Court through the Midland-Odessa Division. The division covers Ector County along with Andrews, Brewster, Crane, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Martin, Midland, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Upton, Ward, and Winkler counties. This is a large geographic area covering much of West Texas. The division is unstaffed, so there is no permanent clerk's office in Odessa or Midland. Cases are administered through the Western District offices, and court is held in Midland at the discretion of the court.
| Court | U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Texas |
|---|---|
| Division | Midland-Odessa Division |
| Main Office | Western District administered through San Antonio or Austin |
| Website | txwb.uscourts.gov |
| Headquarters | 615 E. Houston St., San Antonio, TX 78205 |
The Western District of Texas Bankruptcy Court headquarters is in San Antonio at 615 E. Houston Street. The Clerk of Court is Yvette M. Taylor, phone (210) 472-6720. Chief Judge Ronald B. King presides over cases from this court. Because the Midland-Odessa Division is unstaffed, Odessa filers should contact the San Antonio office or Austin office directly for filing guidance and document submission.
The U.S. Trustee for Odessa cases operates through the San Antonio field office at 615 E. Houston Street, Suite 533, San Antonio, TX 78205, phone (210) 472-4640. Assistant U.S. Trustee Nancy Ratchford oversees this office. The U.S. Trustee Program supervises trustees appointed to handle Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases in the Western District.
How to Search Odessa Bankruptcy Records
The main way to find Odessa bankruptcy records is through PACER. PACER gives online access to federal court filings from the Western District of Texas and every other federal bankruptcy court. Registration is free. The charge is $0.10 per page viewed, but users who owe less than $30 in a quarter are not billed. You can search by party name, case number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number.
When searching PACER, select the Western District of Texas as the court. Odessa cases fall under the Midland-Odessa Division. Results show the full docket, filed documents, creditor lists, case status, and discharge dates. If you are not sure which district has a case, the PACER Case Locator lets you search all federal courts at once from a single screen.
You can also call the Western District clerk in San Antonio at (210) 472-6720 for help locating a case or getting information about filing procedures. The headquarters office can direct you to the right contacts for Midland-Odessa Division matters.
Because the division has no local office, in-person access to public terminals requires a trip to one of the staffed Western District locations. PACER is the most practical option for most people searching Odessa bankruptcy records remotely.
The City of Odessa official website provides access to municipal services, property information, and city records that may come up when researching an Odessa bankruptcy case involving local property or business obligations.
Odessa is the county seat of Ector County and one of the major cities in the Permian Basin. City and county records related to property and permits may be relevant in bankruptcy cases involving local real estate or business assets.
Filing Bankruptcy in Odessa
Odessa residents and businesses file bankruptcy under federal law in the Western District of Texas, Midland-Odessa Division. The most common types are Chapter 7, Chapter 13, and Chapter 11. Chapter 7 is a liquidation where a trustee reviews your assets and discharges remaining eligible debts after paying creditors. Chapter 13 lets you keep your property and pay down debts over three to five years through a court-approved plan. Chapter 11 is used mainly by businesses to reorganize while continuing operations.
Since the Midland-Odessa Division is unstaffed, Odessa filers submit documents through the Western District. Attorneys use electronic filing through the court's CM/ECF system. Pro se filers should contact the Western District headquarters in San Antonio or Austin to confirm the right procedure for submitting documents. The Western District court website has local rules, approved forms, and filing guides.
Before filing, all individual debtors must complete a credit counseling course. Under 11 U.S.C. § 521, filers must include complete asset, liability, income, and expense schedules with their petition. A debtor education course is also required after filing and before the court grants a discharge. Both courses must be from U.S. Trustee-approved providers.
Filing fees are standard across all federal courts. Chapter 7 costs $338, Chapter 13 costs $313, and Chapter 11 costs $1,738. If paying the fee would cause real hardship, you can ask the court for a waiver or request to pay in installments. Make checks or money orders out to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court."
Odessa Bankruptcy Resources
Ector County property and deed records are maintained by the Ector County Clerk at the Odessa courthouse. The clerk handles real estate records, deed filings, and lien documents that often come up in bankruptcy cases. Property lien searches through the county can help identify encumbrances on assets listed in a bankruptcy filing. Contact the Ector County Clerk directly for record requests and search assistance.
The Western District of Texas Bankruptcy Court website has the full set of local rules for the Midland-Odessa Division. Local rules govern how cases are handled in addition to the standard federal Bankruptcy Rules. Review both before filing or responding to a case. The site also has approved forms and instructions for pro se filers.
The U.S. Trustee Program website lists approved credit counseling and debtor education providers for the Western District. These are required steps for all individual bankruptcy filers. The San Antonio field office oversees trustee appointments for Odessa-area cases.
Under 11 U.S.C. § 107, bankruptcy records are public. Anyone can access them through PACER. Some personal data such as full Social Security numbers is protected, but the rest of the case file is available to the public.
Note: The Midland-Odessa Division has no permanent clerk's office. Odessa filers should use PACER for record searches or contact the Western District in San Antonio for filing assistance.
Odessa Is in Ector County
Odessa is the county seat of Ector County. All bankruptcy filings go through the Western District of Texas. County-level records for property, deeds, and local court matters are maintained by Ector County. The Ector County page has more detail on local court structure and records available at the county level.
Nearby Cities
Other Texas cities with bankruptcy courts in the Western District:
- San Antonio - Western District, San Antonio Division
- Austin - Western District, Austin Division
- Waco - Western District, Waco Division