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Claims

 

Important Information About Claims

The Penalty for filing fraudulent claims is a fine of up to $500,000, or imprisonment for up to 5 years, or both (See 11 U.S.C. §§ 152 and 3571).

Do not include any of the debtor’s personal identifiers on the proof of claim form or any attachments to the form. In compliance with Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9037, a filing (any document or attachment to a document) made with the court must not contain certain information, including (1) an individual's (full) social security number, (2) an employer’s (full) taxpayer identification number, (3) an individual's birth date, (4) the name of a minor, or (5) a (complete) financial account number. Such information must be removed or redacted. The document may contain: (1) the last four digits of the social security number or taxpayer identification number; (2) the year of the individual's birth; (3) the minor's initials; and/or (4) the last four digits of the financial account number. The party filing a document is responsible for redaction. The Clerk's office does not review documents filed with the court for compliance with this rule.

The deadline for filing a proof of claim is listed in the Notice of Bankruptcy Case, Meeting of Creditors, & Deadlines. There is no fee to file a proof of claim.  

For frequently asked questions about claims, click here.
 

How to File a Claim in a Bankruptcy Case

There are three ways to file a claim in a bankruptcy case: (1) using the electronic filing service on the Court’s website; (2) using the CM/ECF system; or (3) by mail or in person.

Electronic Filing of Claims
Filing a proof of claim through the Court’s website is instantaneous, immediately verifiable, and free. A login or password is not required to file a claim through the Court’s website. A creditor may file a claim action in a bankruptcy case by clicking on the appropriate link below:

Instructions

Using the CM/ECF System

Before filing via the CM/ECF system, you must complete and submit the appropriate registration form. For registration forms,visit https://www.tneb.uscourts.gov/cmecf-e-filing-registration.

You must also register for a PACER account and submit a request for e-filing registrations to the court from your PACER account.  To register for a PACER account, visit www.pacer.uscourts.gov.

To file a claim using the CM/ECF system, you must complete and attach a proof of claim form (B410) to your filing.
 

By Mail or in Person

You may file a claim either by mail or in person by completing the proof of claim form and delivering it in person or mailing it to the Clerk's office where the case was filed as shown on the notice you received from the court. The appropriate address for each office is listed below.
 

For Chattanooga and Winchester:
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk’s Office 
Historic U.S. Courthouse 
31 East 11th Street 
Chattanooga, TN 37402-2722 
 
For Knoxville:
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk’s Office 
Howard H. Baker Jr. U.S. Courthouse 
800 Market Street, Suite 330 
Knoxville, TN 37902 
 
For Greeneville:
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk’s Office 
James H. Quillen United States Courthouse 
220 West Depot Street, Suite 218 
Greeneville, TN 37743-4924
 
Please be advised that the name and complete address of the creditor must appear on the proof of claim form.  If an attorney is filing the claim on behalf of a creditor, the attorney should also enter his or her name and address.  The name and title of the person authorized to file the claim is required on the proof of claim form.

To receive an acknowledgment that you have filed a claim by mail with the clerk’s office, you may enclose with your claim a stamped, self-addressed envelope with an extra copy of the proof of claim that we will stamp and mail back to you.  Or you may access the court’s PACER system (www.pacer.uscourts.gov) for a small fee to view and/or save a copy of your filed proof of claim.