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Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing (DeBN)

Overview

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio offers debtors the option of participating in the Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing (DeBN) Program. Debtors who participate in the DeBN Program will receive notices and orders via emails generated through the Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC), a notice processing facility for the court. Electronic notices may be issued to debtors by the court only. All other parties, such as trustees and creditors, must continue to serve debtors via U.S. mail or in person, as required by court rules.

How It Works

Upon receipt of the DeBN request, the clerk's office will create the account on the BNC website. After account activation, all subsequent court notices and orders will be emailed to the debtor at the end of each day as a PDF attachment. A separate email will be issued for each notice or order filed.

There is no limit to the number of times the debtor may view the PDF attachment. The debtor may print the attachment, save it to his or her computer, or retain the email for viewing at another time. If the PDF attachment exceeds 8 MB, or the notice cannot be delivered to the email address on file, it will be sent to the debtor by U.S. Mail.

How to Enroll

Pro se debtors may request electronic noticing by filing a Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing (DeBN) Request Form at the clerk's office location in which the case was filed. DeBN Request Forms may be submitted over the counter or by U.S. Mail.

Attorneys may request electronic noticing on behalf of represented debtors via CM/ECF using the Debtor Electronic Noticing (DeBN) docket event (Debtor Electronic Noticing/Bankruptcy/Other).

Note: Separate request forms (or docket entries) must be filed to activate an account, change account or email information, or deactivate an account. The Clerk's Office does not provide email training, email technical support, PDF reader software, etc.

Length of Enrollment in DeBN

DeBN accounts remain active for the duration of the case unless:

  • the debtor's account is automatically disabled due to an email bounce-back (undeliverable mail); or
  • the debtor files a request to deactivate the account.

Court notices and orders will be emailed to the debtor by the BNC in current or future bankruptcy or adversary cases in any bankruptcy court in which the name and address on the case matches the information listed in the debtor's DeBN account. This includes cases in which the debtor has been listed as a creditor.

Updating Account Information or Status

A separate DeBN Request Form noting the reason for change must be submitted for the circumstances provided below:

  • Email address change;
  • U.S. Mail address change;
  • Account deactivation or reactivation;
  • When a new case is filed after enrolling in DeBN to ensure that the name and address on the account matches the information provided in the new case.

Court Notices and Orders

Court notices and orders are documents filed by the Bankruptcy Court, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Notice of Meeting of Creditors
  • Notice Scheduling Objections (This notice provides a deadline for parties to file objections to motions)
  • Notice Setting or Cancelling Hearing
  • Notice of Requirement to Complete Course in Financial Management
  • Notice re: Deficient Documents
  • Order on Motion for Relief from Stay
  • Order re: Chapter 13 Plan
  • Order Discharging Debtor