Fort Myers Bankruptcy Resources | Legal Help & Factual Resources
Helpful Information for Bankruptcy Filings in
Fort Myers — Lee County — Florida
View the Bankruptcy Rules
View the Bankruptcy Code
View the Federal Rules of Evidence
PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records)
If you have previously filed a bankruptcy case in the State of Florida or any other state, you can search PACER to obtain information about your case and download copies of the documents. There might also be other court documents pertinent to your bankruptcy filing that you will be able to locate on PACER.
Anyone can set up a PACER account. There are charges for files accessed and downloaded. www.pacer.gov
U.S. Bankruptcy Courts:
www.uscourts.gov/bankruptcycourts.html
Florida Middle District Bankruptcy Court
Lee County bankruptcy cases will be filed with this bankruptcy court:
Fort Myers Division:
2110 First Street
Fort Myers, FL 33901
Counties Served: Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, De Soto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Osceola, Orange, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. John’s, Sumter, Suwannee, Union, Volusia
An experienced Fort Myers Bankruptcy Lawyer will know the federal laws governing bankruptcy, but will also be familiar with the Local Bankruptcy Court Rules that are specific to each district, and sometimes specific to individual bankruptcy judges. Contact a Lee County Bankruptcy Attorney for a free initial consultation regarding Chapter 7, Chapter 13, Chapter 11, or Chapter 12.
Fort Myers 341 Meeting Room Location
As soon as a bankruptcy case is filed, a date is set for the Meeting of Creditors, also known as the 341 Meeting. This meeting gives creditors the opportunity to question the debtor (you) about monies owed and property owned. An average 341 Meeting lasts about 3 to 4 minutes. Your Fort Myers Bankruptcy Lawyer will explain the meeting to you and accompany you to the meeting.
The meeting room location is:
U.S. Courthouse
2110 First Street, Room 2-101
Fort Myers, FL 33901
U.S. Trustee
www.usdoj.gov/ust
Chapter 13 Trustees
When your Chapter 13 bankruptcy case is filed with the Court, a Chapter 13 Trustee will be assigned to your case. The Chapter 13 Trustees for the Middle District of Florida are:
Terry E. Smith
3046 E. College Avenue, Ruskin, FL 33570
E-mail: TampaTrustee@hotmail.com
(813)658-1165 - Fax: (813)658-1166
Jon M. Waage
P.O. Box 25001, Bradenton, FL 34206
E-mail: JWA5@Tampa13.com
(941)747-4644
Laurie K. Weatherford
P.O. Box 3450, Winter Park, FL 32790
E-mail: lauriew@ch13orl.com
(407)648-8841
Credit Counseling Services in the Fort Myers area:
All individuals (not business entities) are required to complete credit counseling before their bankruptcy case can be filed – for all chapters of bankruptcy, including Chapter 7, Chapter 13, Chapter 12, and Chapter 11. After the case is filed, individuals must complete the second half of the course which is called debt management. View the Federal Trade Commission's brochure with consumer information about credit counseling and debtor education.
Credit counseling services must be approved by the bankruptcy court in order to provide these classes. In the Fort Myers area, these providers have been approved:
CCCS of Central Florida and the Gulf Coast
12811 Kenwood Lane 111
Fort Myers, FL 33907
(239) 278-3121
For other approved providers in the Fort Myers area, visit the U.S. Dept. of Justice website.
Credit Reporting Agencies:
Your Fort Myers Bankruptcy Attorney may have you sign an authorization form so your credit report can be downloaded directly or you may be asked to obtain your free annual credit report yourself and submit it with your other bankruptcy documentation.
You are entitled to a free annual credit report from the three nationwide credit reporting companies. Don't be tricked by TV ads, email offers, or website banner ads into paying for your credit report. The only authorized source for your free credit report is AnnualCreditReport.com. Visit the Federal Trade Commission's website for more information about your free annual credit report.
Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
1-800-685-1111
www.equifax.com
TransUnion
Consumer Disclosure Center
P.O. Box 390
Springfield, PA 19064-0390
1-800-888-4213
www.transunion.com
Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 949
Allen, FL 75013-0949
1-800-682-7654
www.experian.com
Innovis Consumer Assistance
P.O. Box 1358
Columbus, OH 43216-1358
Tax Returns:
You will be required to file copies of your tax returns for the past 2-3 years; submitting them either to the Trustee or the Bankruptcy Court, depending on local bankruptcy rules.
Federal Tax Returns:
For Information on how to obtain a Tax Return Transcript from the Internal Revenue Service, visit the IRS website or call 1-800-908-9946.
State Tax Returns:
You will need to submit state income tax returns if, during the past 2-3 years, you lived in a state that imposes state and/or local income taxes. (There are 43 states in the United States that have a state income tax.) Contact the state's taxing authority if you need to obtain copies of your tax returns from any of these states.
Vehicle Valuations:
You will need a fair and accurate value for any vehicles you own as of the day of filing your bankruptcy case. You can use online sources, but it is sometimes more accurate to get an estimate from a local used car dealer. Local car dealers have a better idea of what someone would actually pay for a vehicle in their city, which is not always the same as the value in the car buying guides.
Online Vehicle Valuations:
NADA - www.NADA.com
Kelly Blue Book - www.kbb.com
Edmunds - www.Edmunds.com
Local Used Car Dealers (for obtaining vehicle valuations):
Honda Of Frt Myers Used Cars
13950 S Tamiami Trial
Fort Myers, FL 33912
(239) 481-3640
Ideal Used Cars Inc
2733 Fowler Street
Fort Myers, FL 33901
(239) 337-0039
Palm Beach Used Cars
3340 Palm Beach Boulevard
Fort Myers, FL 33916
(239) 332-1265
Appraisals and Valuations for Real Estate (Real Property)
A fair and accurate value for your real property must be listed on your bankruptcy forms (Schedule A). Although some Trustees and Bankruptcy Courts will use the value assigned to your property by your local tax assessor, it is beneficial to have a local expert, such as a Fort Myers real estate agent, give you a valuation on your property.
Some local Fort Myers area realtors include:
Gulf River Realty llc.
14078 Palm Beach Boulevard
Fort Myers, FL 33905
(239) 560-1588
Home Hunters USA
1415 Colonial Boulevard
Fort Myers, FL 33907
(239) 939-0001
Diversified Appraisal Inc
1430 Royal Palm Square, Boulevard, Suite 104
Fort Myers, FL 33919
(239) 278-0506
K Burton & Associates
7250 College Parkway
Fort Myers, FL 33907
(239) 322-5500
Lee County Bankruptcy Law Firms will review your financial situation, provide you with advice on the bankruptcy process, and show you how you can receive debt relief!
Serving clients throughout Southwestern Florida, including Arcadia, Bayshore Gardens, Bonita Springs, Bradenton, Cape Coral, Charlotte Park, East Naples, Englewood, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Immokale, La Belle, Lehigh Acres, Marco, Myakka City, North Fort Myers, North Naples, North Port, Page Field, Pine Island Center, Port Charlotte, Sanibel, Sarasota, Vamo, Venice, and other communities in Lee County.
Contact a Fort Myers Bankruptcy Attorney today for a free initial consultation.
Other Legal Bankruptcy Lawyers
If for some unforeseen reason, the Fort Myers Bankruptcy Lawyers listed on this site are unable to assist you, please visit the Fort Myers Bankruptcy Lawyers listed on HG.org; or the Fort Myers Bankruptcy Lawyers listed on GetLegal.com; or the Fort Myers Bankruptcy Lawyers on Justia.com