Kalawao County Bankruptcy Records

Kalawao County bankruptcy records are federal court filings held by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Hawaii in Honolulu. Kalawao is Hawaii's smallest county by both size and population, with no courthouse of its own and no local county seat. Anyone tied to a Kalaupapa address must file and search through the federal court on Oahu. State civil cases for Kalawao go to the Second Circuit Court on Maui. This page shows how to search Kalawao County bankruptcy records, where to request copies, and which courts handle which case types for the peninsula.

Kalawao County Unique Status

Kalawao County stands apart from every other county in the state. It has no mayor, no council, and no county clerk. The Hawaii Department of Health runs the county. That setup is set by state law. Most records that a normal county clerk would hold sit with state or federal offices instead. Bankruptcy records are one of those.

The county covers just the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the north shore of Molokai. The rest of Molokai lies in Maui County. Sheer sea cliffs cut the peninsula off from the rest of the island. The area sits inside Kalaupapa National Historical Park. Most of the land is federal park land. A small group of former Hansen's disease patients still call the settlement home. The 2020 census counted about 88 residents.

Because the county has no seat and no court of its own, there is no place in Kalawao to file a case. All state civil cases go to the Second Circuit Court on Maui. All bankruptcy cases go to the federal court in Honolulu. Getting in and out of the settlement is hard. Kalaupapa is reached by mule ride down the pali, a hiking trail, or small aircraft. That shapes how people here deal with courts.

Where Kalawao Residents File Bankruptcy

Every Kalawao County bankruptcy record is filed and kept at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Hawaii. The clerk sits at 1132 Bishop Street, Suite 250, Honolulu, HI 96813. The phone line is (808) 522-8100. There is no bankruptcy court on Molokai. There is no branch on Maui. Every debtor, from every island, files in Honolulu. Bankruptcy is a federal matter under Title 11 of the United States Code, so state courts cannot rule on it.

A Kalaupapa resident has a few ways to file. Pro se debtors mail petitions and schedules to the clerk in Honolulu. Debtors with counsel file through CM/ECF over the internet. Kalawao residents with no reliable web access can mail paper forms or fly to Oahu to file in person. The court will not accept cash. Pay with a money order, cashier's check, or through pay.gov.

For an overview of how a bankruptcy case works from start to finish, see hib.uscourts.gov/understanding-bankruptcy. The main court page at hib.uscourts.gov links to local rules, hearing schedules, and forms.

The court's homepage opens with a case locator box and links to PACER.

That same homepage handles every Kalawao County bankruptcy record, since there is no local court to file through on Molokai.

Second Circuit Court and Kalawao County

State court cases tied to Kalawao go to the Second Circuit Court on Maui. The main courthouse is Hoapili Hale at 2145 Main Street, Wailuku, HI 96793-1679. Reach the clerk at 808-244-2969. The court is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except state holidays. Hoapili Hale holds case files for Maui County, Lanai, Molokai, and Kalawao.

The Second Circuit does not hear bankruptcy. But bankruptcy filers often need to pull state court records too. Foreclosure files, lien suits, divorce decrees, and state tax judgments all live in the state court system. These records can matter when filling out bankruptcy schedules. To look them up, use eCourt Kokua. The circuit digit for Second Circuit cases is "2." That is the digit that would show up for any Kalawao state case.

The state judiciary also runs a records portal for case search. See courts.state.hi.us for the current status of the JIMS and eCourt Kokua systems. The Second Circuit's page sits under the main hawaii courts site.

Molokai District Court for Kalawao Residents

The Molokai District Court gives Kalawao and the rest of Molokai a local option for smaller cases. It sits at 55 Makaena Street, Kaunakakai, HI 96748. The phone line is (808) 553-1100. The court hears traffic cases, small claims, landlord and tenant cases, and misdemeanor cases. Serious felony cases and bigger civil cases go to Wailuku.

Molokai District Court does not handle bankruptcy. It is not federal court. But its records can still tie into a Kalawao County bankruptcy records file. A small claims judgment, a landlord lien, or a traffic fine debt can all show up on a debtor's schedules. The court clerk can tell you how to pull those state case files. State court cases on the district level also run through eCourt Kokua for public case search.

How to Search Kalawao County Bankruptcy Records

PACER is the main tool to search Kalawao County bankruptcy records. PACER stands for Public Access to Court Electronic Records. It is run by the federal judiciary and covers all U.S. Bankruptcy Court cases. You can search by debtor name, case number, or filing date. Every Hawaii case filed on or after January 1, 1998 shows up. Older files may sit at the San Francisco Federal Records Center.

Sign up at pacer.gov. There is no cost to register. You can give a credit card for same-day access or wait about a week for a login by mail. Searches cost $0.10 per page with a $3.00 cap per document. Case Locator lets you sweep every federal court at once. PACER runs 24 hours a day. You can use it from Kalaupapa with any web link that works. Case dockets, schedules, and orders all show up as PDFs.

PACER is also the tool a creditor would use to check if a debtor in Kalawao has filed. Bankers, landlords, and collection firms all search through this same system. For a plain read of the PACER rules, see the court's page.

The court's PACER guide for Kalawao County bankruptcy records and every other Hawaii case lives at hib.uscourts.gov/pacer.

A free phone option also works. McVCIS, the Multi-Court Voice Case Information System, reads back basic case data over the phone. It is free and needs no login. It cannot give you PDFs, but it can tell you if a case exists and who the trustee is.

Filing Fees for Kalawao County Bankruptcy Records

Each chapter sets its own fee. The court takes the same fees from Kalawao residents that it takes from any other Hawaii filer. Fees can change, so check the court's page before you file.

Current bankruptcy filing fees include:

• Chapter 7: $338 total
• Chapter 11: $1,738 total
• Chapter 12: $278 total
• Chapter 13: $313 total

A Chapter 7 filer who cannot pay up front may ask to pay in four installments, with the last due within 120 days of the petition. Chapter 12 and 13 debtors must finish installment pay within 14 days. Chapter 11 filers almost never get installment terms. Low-income Chapter 7 filers may apply for a full waiver under 28 USC § 1930(f) using Official Form 103B. The limit is 150% of the federal poverty line. For the full, up-to-date list, go to hib.uscourts.gov/filing-fees.

341 Meeting by Zoom from Kalaupapa

Every bankruptcy case includes a meeting of creditors. Section 341 of the Bankruptcy Code requires it. The trustee runs the meeting. The debtor answers questions under oath. Joint debtors must both show up. Creditors may attend but do not have to.

For Kalawao residents, the 341 meeting is almost always remote. Since 2022, most Hawaii 341 meetings have moved to Zoom. That matters a lot on Molokai, where a day trip to Oahu can be tough and costly. A Kalaupapa debtor can now join a 341 meeting from home with just a phone or laptop. The trustee sends the Zoom link and call-in number ahead of time. A webcam is normally required, but the trustee can adjust for hardship.

Bankruptcy Rule 2003 sets the timing. Chapter 7 meetings run 21 to 40 days after the petition is filed. Chapter 13 meetings run 21 to 50 days after filing. Send photo ID and proof of Social Security number to the trustee at least 7 days before the meeting. A state ID, driver's license, military card, resident alien card, or passport works. For the court's full 341 page, see hib.uscourts.gov/meeting-creditors.

Getting Copies of Kalawao County Bankruptcy Records

You can ask the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Honolulu for copies of any Kalawao County bankruptcy records. Send requests to copies@hib.uscourts.gov, call the clerk at (808) 522-8100, or mail a written request to 1132 Bishop Street, Suite 250, Honolulu, HI 96813. Per-page copy fees apply. Certified copies bear the court seal and cost more. The clerk bills an invoice first, then sends the copies after pay is received.

Pay by money order, cashier's check, or certified check. The court does not take cash or personal checks. Debtors can ask for a free PDF of two of their own case documents through a simple email. List the case number, case title, and the name of the doc you need. Banks, title firms, and other courts that need a sealed copy for outside use should use Form 2650. That takes extra time.

The full fee schedule and request steps are at hib.uscourts.gov/copies-documents. Older paper files from before 1998 may sit at the San Francisco Federal Records Center. Contact the clerk first to get the Box, Location, and Transfer numbers you need to pull them.

Historical Kalawao Court Records

Kalawao County has a long, hard history. The Kalaupapa settlement was set aside in 1866 for people with Hansen's disease. The Hawai'i State Archives now holds the old Judiciary Branch records from 1839 to 1970 that cover the settlement. Files include civil, criminal, marriage, divorce, equity, law, probate, wills, and bankruptcy records. Some are in Hawaiian, some in English, and some in both. Files are arranged by plaintiff name or estate name.

For a Kalawao family history search, the archives are the main stop. Supreme Court and First Circuit Court papers from 1839 to 1926 cover dockets, notary books, and judges' oaths. See ags.hawaii.gov/archives for hours, rules, and how to put in a request. The archives sit at 364 S King Street, Honolulu.

The Damien Museum & Archive also holds records tied to Kalawao. It is at 4224 Waialae Ave #615, Honolulu, HI 96816. The museum keeps photos, artifacts, and papers on Father Damien Joseph De Veuster, a Belgian priest who served Hansen's disease patients at Kalaupapa. Researchers studying old Kalawao County bankruptcy records or estate files often pair a visit there with a stop at the state archives.

Modern court records are kept by the state judiciary. For more context on Hawaii court records access across the whole state, see the State Judiciary system page at courts.state.hi.us. Open records rules for all these files flow from HRS Chapter 92F, also known as the Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA).

A local view of Kalawao's administrative setup ties these pieces together.

That overview of Kalawao County government is hosted via kauai.gov as a general county portal reference, and it helps explain why Kalawao County bankruptcy records land in Honolulu rather than in a local seat.

Communities in Kalawao County

Kalawao County has just one main community, the Kalaupapa Settlement. It is not a city in the usual sense. It is a small group of homes and buildings inside Kalaupapa National Historical Park. No Kalawao community meets the population rule to get its own records page on this site. The settlement is home to a handful of former Hansen's disease patients, park staff, and a few state and federal workers. All court and bankruptcy records for Kalaupapa residents run through the same Honolulu and Wailuku offices listed above.

Nearby Counties

Kalawao sits next to the rest of Molokai, which lies in Maui County. Honolulu County is a short flight across the channel. Browse nearby counties for more bankruptcy records info.

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