Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Courts (PA)

Notice to Creditors From the Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Court Clerk's Office

All creditors must receive notice when a case is filed in the Pennsylvania court system. Usually, creditors receive two notice letters - one from the court and one from the attorney representing the debts. The two notice both serve as notice of the case, file number, and date of filing, yet they both also serve distinctly different purposes as well. The notice sent to creditors from the Pennsylvania bankruptcy court advises creditors of their rights, whereas the notice sent by debtors gives notice of debtor rights and directs all future correspondence to the attorney's office. No debtor should fail to provide notice, because an omission of the court is not actionable, and may exclude a creditor from the case if relying solely upon court notice.

Optional Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Court Divisions:

Pennsylvania Eastern Bankruptcy Court Divisions: Allentown, Doylestown, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Reading.

Pennsylvania Middle Bankruptcy Court Divisions: Harrisburg, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport.

Pennsylvania Western Bankruptcy Court Divisions: Erie, Johnston, Meadville, Mercer, Pittsburgh, and Warren.

In most cases, only a small percentage of creditors actually file a response or make an appearance before Pennsylvania bankruptcy courts. The creditors who opt for an appearance frequently are concerned about collateral issues, including destruction of property, repossession, and seizure. Unsecured creditors rarely appear, but when they do, they tend to claim proportionately debts and are concerned with assets available for distribution. In either case, debtors who follow the letter of the law and Pennsylvania court procedures rarely encounter significant problems when dealing with these two issues. Also, creditor concurrence is rare, so that a concerted effort by cooperating creditors is rare.