0In Western New York, records can be searched in the County Clerk’s Office, requested by mail or searched online using published databases.
Before filing your bankruptcy case, your attorney needs to know:
- if a case has been filed against you,
- if a case is “pending,” or “ongoing,”
- if a case has been filed and has gone to judgment.
If you own a home and want to keep it, you must do a lien search to find out if there are any liens that can be removed in bankruptcy. The lien will survive the bankruptcy discharge unless a Motion to Avoid a Lien is filed with the Court and granted.
Here is a partial list of searchable databases:
Erie County: click here to search the records online, which you can do for free. Click on the “Advanced search” feature, open the application, and search using your last name and first name. If you are having trouble, click here for more information about requesting records.
Niagara County: you must either go in person and search at the one computer they have available, or you can search online using the Niagara County IQS Record Search. You do have to pay a fee to use this search feature, and they do charge per page when you print your records. For more information, please visit the Niagara County clerk’s website.
Monroe County: You must register to search court records.
http://www.monroecounty.gov/clerk-onlinerecords.php
Additionally, you may search for free as a guest on the following two websites: