Utah's bankruptcy rate is falling — largely thanks to a recovering economy and growth in the job market — and that's good.
But our state continues to hold the highest households-per-filing rate in the nation, and that's very, very bad.
The number of bankruptcy filings in Utah dropped 7 percent for the first six months of this year compared to the same period of 2003, to 10,591.
But when you consider that just over 14,000 individuals and businesses filed for bankruptcy in all of 1999, it's clear that many Utahns are still struggling.
In June alone, Utahns filed for 1,781 bankruptcies, compared to 1,755 during the same month of 2003, according to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Utah.
And according to the June report of the Virginia-based American Bankruptcy Institute, one of every 36.5 Utah households filed for bankruptcy during the 12 months ended March 31, compared to one of every 72.8 households nationwide.
I have discussed bankruptcy before in this column, and I'm sure many of the reasons Utahns file have not changed over the months. Many filers have faced catastrophic medical bills or other expenses, like those associated with a divorce. Others were seduced by easy credit and soon found themselves drowning in debt.
You probably know someone who has filed. And that brings us to today's reader question, e-mailed to me recently by Ken. He wrote, "My question to you is, is a list of bankruptcy filings available to other than companies involved in hiring individuals, etc.?"
The simple answer, Ken, is yes. In fact, I read an updated list several times a day to see if any local companies or businessmen we cover here at the Deseret Morning News have filed for bankruptcy.
It's not something I enjoy doing, truth be told. I know every name on the list has a sad story behind it. But looking at that long list of names does inspire me to try to keep on the financial straight and narrow, so maybe it serves a greater purpose.
At any rate, the place to start your search is the Web site for the Utah bankruptcy court, www.utb.uscourts.gov. From that site, you can access several pages of statistics and lists of filings, some for free, some for a fee.
For example, if you click on the "Clerk's office" link, it will take you to a public information page. From there, you can click on the "Bankruptcy Filing Statistics" link to see how many Utahns have filed during each month this year, compared to last year, and whether they filed under Chapter 7, 11 or 13.
Also from the clerk's office page, you can click on the "Recent Case Filing Reports" link. This will take you to a page from which you can view, for free, the bankruptcy filings that have come in on the day of your visit and the day before. This sounds like the list you're looking for, Ken.
For more detailed information about current cases, you can click on the "Case Information" link on the court's home page. In order to access some information here, you'll need a PACER account. There is another spot on the home page to click for more information on the PACER system and the fees associated with using it.
The bankruptcy court's Web site offers loads of other information, Ken, but I think this short overview should get you started.
I'm not sure exactly what you're after in accessing this list, but the information it contains is public. I only hope the list continues to grow smaller each day as the economic recovery strengthens.
If you have a financial question, or a tale of good or bad customer service, please send it to me by e-mail at gkratz@desnews.com or by regular mail to the Deseret Morning News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, UT 84110.
E-mail: gkratz@desnews.com