Search Angelina County Bankruptcy Records

Angelina County bankruptcy records are filed with the Eastern District of Texas Bankruptcy Court under the Lufkin Division. Residents of Lufkin and surrounding communities in Angelina County use this division when they need to file a bankruptcy case. Records are available through PACER for online searches or by calling the court. This page covers the court that serves the county, how to find case records, and what to expect when filing in this part of East Texas.

Angelina County Bankruptcy Court

Angelina County is served by the Eastern District of Texas Bankruptcy Court, Lufkin Division. The Lufkin Division covers Angelina County along with Houston, Nacogdoches, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Trinity, and Tyler counties. The Deputy-in-Charge for this division is Mona Doyle, based at the Beaumont office at 300 Willow St., Suite 104, Beaumont, TX 77701, reachable at (409) 654-7064.

Hearings in Lufkin Division cases take place in Beaumont or Lufkin, depending on the case. You will receive a hearing notice that tells you the exact location. Make sure to read it carefully. The Electronic Self-Representation (eSR) portal is the preferred way to file if you do not have an attorney. You can access it through the Eastern District's website.

The U.S. Trustee for Angelina County is the Tyler field office at 110 N. College Avenue, Room 300, Tyler, TX 75702, phone (903) 590-1450. Assistant U.S. Trustee Timothy W. O'Neal heads this office, which is part of Region 6 based in Dallas. The U.S. Trustee appoints bankruptcy trustees for Chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases and monitors the administration of those cases.

Note: Hearing locations vary by case. Always check your hearing notice for whether your case will be in Beaumont or Lufkin.

The Angelina County Government website provides access to county offices, property records, and other public records relevant to bankruptcy proceedings in the Lufkin area.

The Angelina County Clerk at 215 E. Lufkin Ave. maintains real property and deed records that trustees and attorneys often review during bankruptcy cases involving property in the county.

How to Search Angelina County Bankruptcy Records

To look up a bankruptcy case in Angelina County, start with PACER. This online system covers all Eastern District of Texas cases, including those filed in the Lufkin Division. You can search by debtor name, case number, or Social Security number. PACER shows docket entries, filed documents, and orders. Register for a free account at pacer.uscourts.gov. Document viewing costs a small per-page fee.

The Voice Case Information System at 866-222-8029 is free. Call and enter a case number or a last four digits of a Social Security number to get a recorded case summary. It does not give you full documents, but it tells you whether a case is open, pending, or closed.

Public access to bankruptcy records is protected by 11 U.S.C. § 107. This statute keeps most case filings open to the public. Sensitive items like full Social Security numbers and financial account numbers are redacted under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9037, but the rest of the file is available.

You can also go in person to the Beaumont courthouse and use a public PACER terminal at no charge. Staff can help you pull up cases and copy documents. Bring a party name or case number to speed up the search.

Filing Bankruptcy in Angelina County

Angelina County residents file bankruptcy in the Eastern District of Texas under the Lufkin Division. The most common case types are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Chapter 7 is a liquidation case where a trustee administers your non-exempt assets and discharges eligible debts. Chapter 13 is a multi-year payment plan designed to help people keep property while catching up on debts like mortgages or car loans.

The Eastern District requires alphabetical ordering of creditors on Schedules D and E/F. You must submit a copy of your photo ID enlarged to 150% to the case trustee at least seven days before your 341 meeting. The creditor matrix must include a Verification of Matrix as its last page. All of these local forms are available at txeb.uscourts.gov/forms.

Filing fees apply to all bankruptcy cases. If you cannot pay the full amount up front, you may request to pay in installments, with an initial payment of at least $75 at the time of filing. Fee waivers are available to those whose income is below 150% of the federal poverty level. The court reviews these applications.

Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 5003 requires the court to keep a complete public record of every case. Your filing date, case type, and case status appear in the public record from the moment you submit your petition.

Angelina County Resources

The Angelina County Clerk is at 215 E. Lufkin Ave., Lufkin, TX 75901, phone (936) 634-4312. The clerk keeps real property records, marriage records, and other official county documents. During a bankruptcy case, the trustee may check these records to see what property you own in Angelina County and whether any liens exist. The Angelina County District Clerk handles state court records and can be reached at (936) 634-4314.

A bankruptcy petition includes several key documents. You file a list of all assets and their values, a schedule of all debts with each creditor's name and address, a record of your income from all sources, a monthly budget showing your expenses, and any claims of exemption under Texas law. All of this becomes part of the public record under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 5003.

For legal help, East Texas Legal Services assists low-income residents with bankruptcy and other civil matters. The State Bar of Texas referral service connects you with attorneys in the Lufkin area. The court's website has self-help resources designed for people filing without a lawyer.

Nearby Counties

These counties are also in the Eastern District of Texas and file bankruptcy cases through nearby divisions.