Filing Fee

(a) Payment of Filing Fee. Payments for filing fees must be made either by credit card through the Pay.gov Internet Credit Card Payment System or at the Bankruptcy Clerk’s Office by such other form of payment that has been authorized by the Bankruptcy Clerk or supervising representative. (b) Payment by Check. Payment by check is permitted only if drawn on the account of the attorney for the debtor or another party, or on the account of a law firm of which the attorney is a member, partner, or associate.

Checks shall be payable to “Clerk of Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court.” The check is accepted subject to collection. (c) Application to Pay in Installments. (1) Minimum Initial Payment. The minimum amount of the initial required payment depends on the case chapter.

The fee schedules are available at www.lawb.uscourts.gov. 2 (2) Installment Payment Schedule. An application to pay filing fees in installments shall specify the dates upon which the debtor proposes to make installment payments, and the amount of each payment. The court may schedule the dates and amount of each payment, notwithstanding the payment schedule proposed in the application.

(3) Order on Application. The court shall prepare the order on all applications to pay filing fees in installments. (d) Refund of Filing Fee. (1) Without the necessity of an order from the court, the Bankruptcy Clerk is authorized to refund filing fees when the remitter of the fee submits to the Bankruptcy Clerk a request for refund using the Bankruptcy Clerk’s form available on the court’s website, www.lawb.uscourts.gov, if the fee was collected– (a) without authority; (b) due to duplicate credit card payments; (c) due to a duplicate petition erroneously filed through CM/ECF; or (d) due to the Bankruptcy Clerk’s administrative error.

In all other circumstances, a request for a refund of fees must be made to the court by motion or application. If the Bankruptcy Clerk discovers an erroneous filing for which a fee has not yet been collected, the Bankruptcy Clerk, without motion and order, may correct the filing administratively and not collect the fee. If a particular attorney or law firm continues to make repeated mistakes when submitting fees and requesting refunds, the court may consider remedial action. (2) (3) (4)