If you’re filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Greensboro, your case goes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, located at 101 S. Edgeworth St., Greensboro, NC 27401.1United States Bankruptcy Court. Court Locations The Chapter 13 office in Greensboro, NC assigns every case in this division to Standing Trustee Anita Jo Kinlaw Troxler, whose office handles your plan payments and runs your meeting of creditors.2United States Bankruptcy Administrator for the Middle District of North Carolina. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 itself is a federal repayment plan lasting three to five years for people with regular income.3United States Courts. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Basics
Where to File and Which Counties Belong to Greensboro
The Clerk’s Office counter at 101 S. Edgeworth St. is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Filing fees and other payments at the counter are only accepted until 4:00 p.m.4United States Bankruptcy Court. Court Info
The Greensboro Division handles Chapter 13 cases from Alamance, Caswell, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond, and Rockingham counties.4United States Bankruptcy Court. Court Info If you live in any of those counties, this is where your case belongs.
Payments at the counter can’t be made by credit card. Only cases filed electronically through the court’s ECF system allow credit card payment, and the system charges no extra fee for using one.5United States Bankruptcy Court. Payment of Fees
Your Chapter 13 Trustee
Anita Jo Kinlaw Troxler is the Standing Chapter 13 Trustee for Greensboro Division cases. Her office reviews your proposed repayment plan, receives your monthly payments, and distributes the money to creditors.2United States Bankruptcy Administrator for the Middle District of North Carolina. Chapter 13 The Trustee operates separately from the courthouse.
Contact information:
- Phone: (336) 378-9164
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 1720, Greensboro, NC 274022United States Bankruptcy Administrator for the Middle District of North Carolina. Chapter 13
Debtors can monitor their own case data through the National Data Center at ndc.org. Attorneys and creditors use the Trustee’s 13Network portal for case information.613Network. Anita Jo Kinlaw Troxler, Chapter 13 Trustee – Greensboro
What It Costs to File
The federal court filing fee for Chapter 13 is $313. You can pay it in installments if you file a motion asking the court for permission.
Most filers hire an attorney, and the MDNC uses a presumptive fee schedule under a standing order. If the attorney files the required Application for Base Fee, the court approves the fee without demanding detailed billing records.7United States Bankruptcy Court. Standing Order Regarding Attorneys Fees for Representation of Debtors in Chapter 13 Cases The base fee depends on your income and whether your attorney completed at least 7 hours of bankruptcy-related continuing education in the year before your filing:
- Below-median income: $5,200, or $5,700 with the education hours.
- Above-median income: $5,500, or $6,000 with the education hours.
- Small plans (total plan payments under $7,000): $2,500 flat, regardless of income.
Attorney fees in Chapter 13 are usually paid through your plan rather than up front.
What You Need in Place Before You File
You need regular income, and your debts have to fall under statutory limits. For cases filed between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2028, your noncontingent, liquidated unsecured debts must be less than $526,700 and your noncontingent, liquidated secured debts must be less than $1,580,125.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 109 – Who May Be a Debtor “Noncontingent and liquidated” means fixed amounts currently owed, not debts whose amount is unsettled or that depend on a future event.
You must also complete a credit counseling briefing from an approved nonprofit agency within 180 days before you file.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 US Code 109 – Who May Be a Debtor File the certificate with your petition. If it has expired, your case can be dismissed. Briefings are available by phone and online and typically cost $10 to $50.
One more pre-filing issue trips people up: tax returns. You must have filed all required federal returns for the four tax years before your bankruptcy filing date, and they must be on file no later than the day before your 341 meeting is first scheduled.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 1308 – Filing of Prepetition Tax Returns If you don’t meet that deadline, the court must dismiss your case or convert it to Chapter 7.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 1307 – Conversion or Dismissal Catch up on any back returns before you file your petition.
The Local Plan Form and MDNC-Specific Rules
Beyond the standard federal bankruptcy forms, the MDNC requires its own local Chapter 13 plan form, designated Local Form 1302. You can’t modify it or substitute a different form.12United States Bankruptcy Court. Local Bankruptcy Rules – Middle District of North Carolina – Section: Local Rule 3015-1 The current version, revised in March 2026, is on the court’s website.13United States Bankruptcy Court. Chapter 13 Plan
The district also requires a local Debtor’s Disclosure of Information Regarding Domestic Support Obligations. That form goes to the Trustee and is not filed with the court.
One local provision worth knowing: under Local Rule 4001-1(d), any secured creditor you’re paying directly must send payment statements and correspondence the same way they would to any non-bankrupt borrower. If a creditor doesn’t provide statements, they must give you a phone number or other way to access your account information on request.14United States Bankruptcy Court. Local Bankruptcy Rules – Middle District of North Carolina – Section: Local Rule 4001-1(d) Mortgage servicers sometimes cut off online account access after a bankruptcy filing; this rule gives you grounds to demand it back.
The 341 Meeting of Creditors
Every Chapter 13 debtor must attend a Section 341 meeting of creditors. The Trustee runs the meeting, places you under oath, and asks questions about your petition, finances, and plan.15United States Department of Justice. Section 341 Meeting of Creditors Despite the name, creditors rarely attend. If everything is in order, the meeting takes five to ten minutes.
In the Middle District of North Carolina, 341 meetings are currently held on Zoom.16United States Bankruptcy Administrator. Bankruptcy Administrator for the Middle District of North Carolina Your meeting notice includes the instructions. At least 14 days before the meeting, you or your attorney must send the Trustee a clear copy of a government-issued photo ID and evidence of your Social Security number.15United States Department of Justice. Section 341 Meeting of Creditors The Trustee will also want recent pay stubs, bank statements, and your most recent federal tax return.
Skipping the meeting means dismissal. The dismissal is usually without prejudice, so you can refile, but a refile within one year requires a separate motion to reinstate the automatic stay. If a real emergency keeps you from attending, contact the Trustee immediately to reschedule.
Making Your Plan Payments
Your first plan payment is due within 30 days of filing your petition or the order for relief, whichever comes first.17Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 1326 – Payments That deadline applies even if your plan hasn’t been confirmed yet. File on June 7, the Trustee needs your first payment by July 7.
Payment options:
- Wage order: the court directs your employer to withhold your plan payment and send it to the Trustee. This is the most reliable method and most trustees prefer it.18Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 1325 – Confirmation of Plan
- Mail: send a money order, certified check, or personal check to the Trustee’s P.O. Box, payable to the Chapter 13 Trustee. Include your full name, address, and case number.
- Electronic: TFS Bill Pay is a third-party service that pulls payments from your bank account. Contact TFS directly for setup and support, not the Trustee’s office.613Network. Anita Jo Kinlaw Troxler, Chapter 13 Trustee – Greensboro
If You Fall Behind on Payments
Missed payments are the fastest way to lose a Chapter 13 case. The court can dismiss or convert the case to Chapter 7 for failure to make timely payments, material default on a confirmed plan term, or failure to pay post-filing domestic support obligations.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 1307 – Conversion or Dismissal
Here’s how it typically unfolds. The Trustee or a creditor files a motion to dismiss. You have a short window to respond, either with a plan to cure the arrears or with a request for a temporary moratorium. No response, and the court grants the dismissal. Once dismissed, the automatic stay disappears and creditors can resume collection, including any paused foreclosure. Even one missed payment can start the process, so contact your attorney before you fall behind. Plan modifications are available, and the court prefers an amended plan over a failed one.
Finishing the Plan and Getting Your Discharge
After your final plan payment, there’s one more step before discharge. You must complete an instructional course on personal financial management from an approved provider and file the certificate no later than the date of your last plan payment.19Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 US Code 1328 – Discharge This is separate from the pre-filing credit counseling. Miss it and you’ll have paid for three to five years without receiving the discharge that wipes out your remaining eligible debts.
Not every debt gets wiped out. Student loans, most tax debts, domestic support obligations, and certain other categories survive a Chapter 13 discharge. Your attorney can tell you which of your specific debts will be eliminated at the end of your plan.