Find Bankruptcy Records in Medina County

Medina County bankruptcy records are filed through the Western District of Texas Bankruptcy Court, San Antonio Division. The San Antonio Division courthouse at 615 E. Houston St., San Antonio, TX 78205 handles all bankruptcy cases for Medina County residents and businesses. You can search for cases online through PACER or visit the clerk's office in person. The county seat is Hondo, and the Medina County Clerk there maintains property and deed records that often appear in bankruptcy proceedings. All filings under Chapter 7, Chapter 13, and Chapter 11 are public record.

Medina County Federal Bankruptcy Court

Medina County is served by the Western District of Texas Bankruptcy Court, San Antonio Division. The division handles cases from a large portion of South Texas, covering Medina County and many neighboring counties including Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, Maverick, Real, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, Wilson, and Zavala counties. For Medina County residents and businesses, the San Antonio Division is the court of jurisdiction for all bankruptcy filings.

All three main bankruptcy chapters are available to Medina County filers. Chapter 7 allows eligible debtors to discharge most unsecured debt after a trustee reviews their non-exempt assets. Chapter 13 creates a structured repayment plan lasting three to five years. Chapter 11 is primarily used for business reorganizations. The Waco Division clerk's office handles docket questions and case status checks but does not provide legal advice.

The U.S. Trustee for Medina County cases is the San Antonio field office at 615 E. Houston Street, Suite 533, San Antonio, TX 78205, phone (210) 472-4640. This office monitors bankruptcy case administration, reviews debtor filings for accuracy, and holds the list of approved credit counseling and debtor education providers for Western District filers in the San Antonio region.

How to Search Medina County Bankruptcy Records

The standard tool for searching Medina County bankruptcy records is PACER. You register for a free account and then search the Western District of Texas by debtor name, case number, or other identifiers. Basic case data is often free. Full documents like schedules, creditor lists, and court orders cost a small per-page fee. PACER covers both active cases and closed ones going back years.

When searching PACER for Medina County filings, select the Western District of Texas as the court. You can filter by county to narrow results. For older cases from before electronic filing, the clerk's office at the San Antonio Division can provide guidance on requesting records. Pre-PACER cases may be archived with the National Archives.

Bankruptcy records are public under 11 U.S.C. § 107. Sealed records are rare and apply only when a court finds specific grounds to limit public access. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9037 requires that all filed documents partially redact Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and birth dates.

The Medina County Government website provides access to local property and deed records held by the County Clerk in Hondo. These records are frequently used in bankruptcy proceedings to identify and value real property owned by the debtor in Medina County.

The Medina County Government website provides access to property records and county services managed by the County Clerk in Hondo, which are often relevant in bankruptcy cases filed in the San Antonio Division.

Medina County property records maintained at the Hondo courthouse are used by bankruptcy trustees to confirm real estate ownership and lien status for cases filed in the Western District of Texas.

Filing Bankruptcy in Medina County

To file for bankruptcy in Medina County, you submit your petition and schedules to the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division. The court's local rules and forms page lists all required documents. The Western District requires a Pro Se Questionnaire and a verified creditor matrix at the time of initial filing. These requirements apply whether you are represented by an attorney or filing on your own.

Attorneys use the court's CM/ECF electronic filing system. Pro se filers can bring paper documents to the San Antonio Division clerk's office. The clerk's office can confirm your filing and assign a case number, but staff cannot advise you on which chapter to choose or help fill out your paperwork. If you need guidance, legal aid services in the San Antonio area may be available to you.

Filing fees are set federally. Chapter 7 costs $338. Chapter 13 costs $313. Chapter 11 costs $1,738. If your income falls below 150% of the federal poverty line, you may qualify for a fee waiver. You file the waiver application with your petition. The court reviews it and decides whether to grant a waiver or payment plan.

Before filing, individual debtors must complete a credit counseling course within 180 days of their petition date. After filing, they must complete a debtor education course before the court grants a discharge. Approved providers are listed on the U.S. Trustee website.

Note: The San Antonio Division requires a Pro Se Questionnaire and verified creditor matrix at the time of filing, so prepare both before submitting your petition.

Medina County Resources

The Medina County Clerk in Hondo maintains property records, deed filings, and tax documents at the Hondo courthouse. When a bankruptcy case involves real property in Medina County, these records help trustees and creditors verify ownership and determine asset value. The county website at medinacountytexas.org provides access to some county services online.

For broader context on bankruptcy filings in Texas, the Federal Judicial Center publishes statistics on case volumes, chapter types, and outcomes for all federal districts including the Western District of Texas.

Key resources for Medina County bankruptcy matters:

• Western District of Texas Bankruptcy Court - case filing and docket access
• PACER - search federal court records online
• U.S. Trustee - San Antonio Field Office
• Medina County Government - property records and county services
• Western District Local Rules and Forms

Nearby Counties in the San Antonio Division

Medina County shares the San Antonio Division with numerous South Texas counties. If you need to find a case from this part of Texas, all of these counties use the same federal bankruptcy court system.