CACB — COVID-19 Public Emergency – Closure of All Courthouses Through January 8, 2021

Source: https://www.cacb.uscourts.gov/sites/cacb/files/documents/general-orders/GO%2020-12.pdf

1 2 3 4 DEC -8 2020 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT 9 CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 IN RE: COVID-19 PUBLIC EMERGENCY – GENERAL ORDER 20-12 CLOSURE OF ALL COURTHOUSES12 THROUGH JANUARY 8, 2021 13 14 Based on the continuation of the Continuity of Operations Plan (“COOP”) 15 implemented on March 18, 2020, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic 16 and in an effort to align with District Court operations, 17 IT IS HEREBY ORDERED as follows 18 1. All Courthouses Closed – In conformance with U.S. District Court Order 19 20-179 closing all courthouses of the Central District of California, all in-person 20 U.S. Bankruptcy Court operations are suspended through January 8, 2021. 21 All hearings will be conducted telephonically or by video. 22 2. Self-Represented Filings. Individuals filing bankruptcy without an attorney 23 may file by mail, or through the Court’s Electronic Self-Representation module. 24 Through the Court’s existing electronic filing program for self-represented 25 debtors (eSR), both Chapter 7 and 13 petitions will be accepted. All Chapter 7 26 and 13 petitions shall be filed through either eSR, by mail, or through other 27 arrangements made with the court. Other chapter petitions must be filed 28 either through CM/ECF with an attorney or by mail to the Court. Please view

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1 the Court's website for more information specific to self-represented parties 2 at https://www.cacb.uscourts.gov/filing-without-an-attorney. Parties requiring 3 assistance or guidance may contact the Court at (855) 460-9641. 4 3. Signatures and Filing Fees. If a bankruptcy case is submitted through eSR 5 or by mail, the debtor must mail the required signatures and the required filing 6 fee within 10 days, or the case will be dismissed. Please view the Court's 7 website for more information specific to self-represented parties at 8 https://www.cacb.uscourts.gov/filing-without-an-attorney. All petitions 9 from self-represented parties are automatically granted a fee installment 10 so that the full required filing fee is due no later than 10 days after the filing 11 of the petition. For petitions filed through eSR, an application for a fee waiver 12 must be mailed to the Court within five (5) days of the electronic petition filing, 13 on the form available on the website at https://www.cacb.uscourts.gov/forms/ 14 application-individuals-pay-filing-feeinstallmentsapplication-have-chapter-7- 15 filing-fee. For petitions filed by mail, an application for a fee waiver shall be 16 submitted with the petition. The Court will issue an Order on the Fee Waiver 17 Application within five (5) days. If a fee waiver or installment order is entered in 18 a specific case, it will supersede this General Order requiring the full fee 19 within 10 days. If the requisite fee and/or signatures are not mailed 20 within 10 days, the Court will dismiss the case without a hearing. 21 4. F.R.B.P. 5001(a). The electronic, mail, telephonic, and appointment access 22 provided through the above procedures and those detailed on the Court’s 23 website are deemed sufficient to meet the requirements of F.R.B.P. 5001(a). 24 5. Social Security Number Statements. A self-represented litigant filing 25 a voluntary bankruptcy case must include the signed “Statement About 26 Your Social Security Numbers” (Official Form 121) with the initial filing 27 when mailing the documents (F.R.B.P. 1007(f)). When filing a voluntary 28 bankruptcy case through the Court’s eSR program, the signed

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1 “Statement About Your Social Security Numbers” form must be mailed 2 to the Court within 10 days of filing or the case will be dismissed. Please view 3 the Court's website for more information specific to self-represented parties 4 at https://www.cacb.uscourts.gov/filing-without-an-attorney. 5 6. Mediations. Mediations will proceed remotely. 6 7. Judges’ or Courtesy Copies. Except for documents over 25 pages, 7 including exhibits, the requirement to deliver judges’ copies of documents 8 to chambers (LBR 5005-2(d)) continues to be temporarily suspended – 9 including delivery via U.S. mail, personal delivery, or any other means. 10 Documents over 25 pages should still be provided unless the judge’s 11 specific updated instructions have waived that requirement. Parties are 12 reminded that the judge and chambers’ staff do not receive electronic 13 notices of filings, and therefore, (a) for documents that are filed late, 14 and (b) for matters that are either (i) not set for hearing or (ii) not the 15 subject of an electronically uploaded order (LOU), parties must contact 16 the chambers of the presiding judge and advise chambers of the filing. 17 8. Signatures. Local Bankruptcy Rule 9011-1 does not require in-person 18 contact as it permits an attorney to receive a signature page by electronic 19 means. Nothing in the rule precludes the filing of a signature page that 20 has been received by facsimile, pdf, text or photo. This signature can 21 be filed separately in whatever format is reasonably possible so that 22 there is a clear indication that the signor has read and is signing the actual 23 document filed. 24 a. In light of the difficulty of obtaining any paper files during 25 this emergency, the requirement of LBR 9011-1(d) to maintain 26 a wet signature for five (5) years is temporarily suspended and 27 the attorney should maintain the electronic transmission of the client 28 to file the document in whatever format is reasonable at this time.

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1 b. If there is a situation where a client cannot transmit a signature 2 electronically either due to lack of required technology or internet 3 access, etc., the attorney should so explain the circumstances 4 with the filing, verify that permission was obtained from the client 5 to sign the document on their behalf, and obtain the signature 6 as soon as possible after the filing through another means. 7 9. Phased Reopening Plans. The Court’s COOP will remain in place and 8 be modified gradually as necessary. Details of these modifications will be 9 posted on the Court’s website and communicated to staff as they are 10 implemented. 11 12 IT IS SO ORDERED. 13 DATED: December 8, 2020 14 15 16 Maureen A. Tighe Chief Judge, United States Bankruptcy Court 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

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