Queries for Creditors

(Based on CM/ECF Version 2.2 and Netscape Version 4.7)

GENERAL INFO.	“Query” allows you (if you or your company has a PACER account) to research a vast amount of case specific information. You can search with or without a case number. PACER fees do apply to “Query”, so you will pay 7 cents per screen viewed or page printed.
HELP SCREENS	Help is available for most screens by clicking on the button. The help box will display describing the fields and what entry is required for the window you are currently viewing. Click on the button at the upper right hand corner of the screen or the button to close the help screen.
STEP 1	Log in to the CM/ECF System using your ECF Login and Password if you aren’t already logged in. NOTE: If you aren’t going to be filing any pleadings, but will simply be querying a case, you can log in using your PACER Login and Password instead. NOTE: After logging in, if you click on Netscape Navigator’s (resize) button accidentally instead of clicking the minimize button, or if you drag the sides to resize the Netscape window, there is a Netscape Navigator bug which will throw you out of your CM/ECF session and you will lose all the information that you have entered up to that point. So, resize the window before you login!
STEP 2	Click on “Query” in the blue menu bar at the top of the screen.
STEP 3	The “PACER Login” screen will now display unless you previously logged in using your PACER login and password or unless you have defaulted your PACER login to be linked to your CM/ECF login. Enter your PACER login and password and a client code, if desired. Then, click the button.
SEARCH FIELDS	The following “Query” search screen will now display. Follow the examples below for searching.
SEARCH BY CASE NUMBER	The quickest search method is to enter the case number (as shown below) if you know it.
SEARCH BY PARTY NAME	If you don’t know the case number, you could also search for a party by any combination of their “Last Name” and/or “First Name” and/or “Middle Name”. NOTE: If you aren’t positive about the person’s middle name or if they used their middle name when filing the bankruptcy, then leave the “Middle Name” field blank to widen your search.
MATCHING PARTIES	If more than one party matches your search criteria, a screen similar to the one below will then display. Click on each party’s underlined name until you find the correct party.
CASES IN WHICH THE PARTY IS INVOLVED	After clicking on the underlined name on the above screen, a screen with more information about the party will then display. If you need still more information to determine which party is the party you are interested in, you will need to “Query” each case number (by clicking on it) to find out more information about the party.
SEARCH BY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER	If you know the debtor(s) social security number, you can search by social security number. This will allow you to quickly find all the cases that the debtor has filed since 1991 in the USBC EDKY. See the screen below for an example.
CASES WHERE A PARTY WITH THE SAME SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER IS INVOLVED	When a person with a particular social security number shows up in more than one case, the list of cases will display next. You can “Query” each case number (by clicking on it) to find out more information about the different cases in which the party was involved or which the party filed.
SEARCH BY ATTORNEY NAME	You can also search to find the cases where a particular attorney is involved as shown in the example below. NOTE: You will need to change the “Type” to “Attorney.
MATCHING ATTORNEYS	If more than one attorney matches your search criteria, a list similar to the screen below will now display.
ATTORNEY’S CASES	Clicking on the attorney’s name will display a list of that attorney’s cases such as the following list. You can “Query” each case number (by clicking on it) to find out more information about the different cases in which the attorney is/was involved or filed.
OTHER SEARCHES	It is also possible to search for parties (other than attorneys) to find a list of the cases in which they play a role. For example, you can search for a particular trustee’s cases. NOTE: In the EDKY searches for a particular “Professional” or a particular attorney in the office of the “U.S. Trustee” do not work as a result of the way we enter those parties.
CLEAR OPTION	You can click the button to return the screen to the normal defaults if you change your mind about any of the search choices you have made.
STEP 4	Click the button after you have entered your search criteria following the guidelines and examples set out above.
NO CASES/ PERSONS FOUND	If no cases/persons matching your criteria were found, a screen similar to one of the screens below will display.
BASIC CASE INFO.	Once you have narrowed down your “Query” to a particular case, the basic case information will display at the top of the screen. The information that displays will include all the information shown in the example below.
QUERY HYPERLINKS	Underneath the basic case information, a list of hyperlinks will display. Clicking on any of the hyperlinks will display information regarding that topic.
ALIAS HYPERLINK	If the debtor(s) have no aliases, a message like the one below will display. If one or both of the debtors have aliases, the alias information will display similar to the following example.
ASSOCIATED CASES HYPERLINK	If there are no associated cases, a message like the one below will display. If there are associated cases, the associated case information will display similar to the following example. Clicking on the main case numbers allows you to produce a docket report for the main case. Clicking on the adversary number in the right-hand column allows you to produce a docket sheet for the adversary proceeding.
ATTORNEY HYPERLINK	You should normally always have some attorney information available. The only situation where there would be no attorney information is if the debtor(s) is pro se and no creditor has hired an attorney. Attorney information displays as shown below.
CASE SUMMARY HYPERLINK	The “Case Summary” screen is one of the most informative screens available about a particular case. It includes almost every important date in a case as well as party information.
CREDITOR SEARCH SCREEN	The “Creditor” hyperlink first displays a search screen. The default is to search for all creditors. Click the button after making any search changes you desire.
CREDITOR LIST	After running the query, the list of creditors in the case will display as shown in the following example. There should always be at least one creditor in a bankruptcy case.
DEADLINES/ HEARINGS SEARCH SCREEN	The “Deadlines/Hearings” hyperlink first displays a search screen. The default is to sort the data gathered by the date the deadline comes due or the date for which the hearing is set. Instead of sorting by “Due/Set”, you can have the data that is gathered sorted by the other criteria (such as document number) as shown below up to three levels. Click the button after making any sorting choices you desire.
DEADLINE/ SCHEDULE LIST	If you sort by “Due/Set” (which is the default), the deadlines/hearings information will display similarly to the example set out below. Within approximately 24 hours of filing, all cases should have at least one deadline (the 341 meeting). NOTE: Once a hearing has occurred and an Order has been entered or once a document that was due has been filed, etc., a “Satisfied” or “Terminated” date will be added to one of the last two columns shown above. NOTE: Clicking on the blue-underlined document number(s) will display the .pdf image of the pleading and supporting documentation (up to 50 pages) which is being heard or which created the deadline, but will launch Adobe Acrobat Reader within the CM/ECF screen. See warning message below.
IMPORTANT WARNING RE VIEWING .PDF DOCU- MENTS	When you click on a document or claim number while in CM/ECF, you will be able to view the document or claim, but the Adobe Acrobat Reader software will not be separately launched in the process. Your screen will look similar to the screen below. Note that the title bar at the top is still showing the “Kentucky Eastern Train Database – Netscape” program. In addition, note that the main CM/ECF blue menu bar still shows. You will need to use your browser’s button to go back to the screen you were previously viewing. If you try to close the .pdf document by clicking on the button, you will actually throw yourself out of the CM/ECF system.
DOCKET REPORT HYPERLINK	Clicking on the “Docket Report” hyperlink will display the “Docket Sheet” search criteria screen. There would always be at least one entry on a docket report as soon as a case is filed. See the separate instructions on producing a “Docket Report”.
FILERS HYPERLINK	You should always have some filer information available. Filer information displays as shown below. Clicking on the filer’s name displays a list of their pleadings as shown below. Clicking on the silver bullet next to the pleading displays docket information for the pleading and any related pleadings as shown below. Clicking on the underlined document numbers will allow you to view the document, but refer to the warning above.
HISTORY/ DOCUMENTS SEARCH SCREEN	The “History/Documents” hyperlink first displays a search screen. The default is to gather the data for “All events”. You can change this to gather only those events with actual document numbers. You can also click the setting so that the docket text will also display for each event. Finally, you can sort the data gathered by either of the methods shown below. The default is to sort by the “Oldest date first”. Click the button after making any searching and sorting choices you desire.
HISTORY/ DOCUMENTS LIST	After running the query (if you did not change the defaults), the data gathered will display as shown in the following example. There should always be at least one event/document in a bankruptcy case. Clicking on the underlined document numbers will allow you to view the document, but refer to the warning above. Clicking on the silver bullet next to the pleading displays docket information for the pleading/event as shown below.
NOTICE OF BK CASE FILING HYPERLINK	Clicking the “Notice of Bankruptcy Case Filing” hyperlink will display an “official” looking notice similar to the partial notice shown below.
PARTY HYPERLINK	There should always be party information for any bankruptcy case. Party information will display as shown below. NOTE: This list is alphabetical by individual’s last name and company’s titles.
RELATED TRANS- ACTIONS SEARCH SCREEN	The “Related Transactions” hyperlink first displays a search screen. The default is to gather the data for “Pending” documents. You can narrow down the data collected by entering a “Filed” date range or a “Documents” number range or both. You can include either “Pending” or “Terminated” documents, or both. You can also limit the data to certain types of documents as shown below. Then, you can sort the data gathered in one of the three following manners. Click the button after making any searching and sorting choices you desire.
RELATED TRANS- ACTIONS LIST	After running the query (if you did not change the defaults), the data gathered will display as shown in the following example. Although there would always be pleadings, there may not be any “Related Transactions” in some cases. The above example shows that document No. 2 has a related document (document No. 7). When you scroll down to document No. 7, it shows that it is related to document No. 2 (as shown below). Clicking on the silver bullet next to the pleading displays docket information for the pleading and any related pleadings as shown below. Clicking on the underlined document numbers will allow you to view the document, but refer to the warning above.
STATUS HYPERLINK	Statuses are not currently in use in the USBC for the EDKY. Clicking on the “Status” hyperlink appears to give you status information, but on closer review, you will note that although there are dates for statuses, there is no actual status noted.
TRUSTEE HYPERLINK	Except in Chapter 11 cases (where there is sometimes no trustee appointed), there should be trustee information within about 24 hours of the case’s filing. Trustee information will display as shown in the following example. NOTE: If a trustee is terminated and a new trustee assigned, the new trustee information would also display.
PRINTING OR SAVING THE QUERY INFO.	Click on your browser’s printer icon to print any of the “Query” information displayed. To save a copy of the information displayed, click “File” in your browser’s menu bar. Then select “Save As”, “Save Frame As”, or “Save Target As” and save to the drive you wish to on your computer.