Local Rule RULE 5001-1: DIVISIONS OF COURT, CASE ASSIGNMENTS, AND FILING OF PAPERS
Bankr. D. Mass. — General rule
RULE 5001-1. DIVISIONS OF COURT, CASE ASSIGNMENTS, AND FILING OF PAPERS
(a) The District of Massachusetts shall containcontains the divisions comprised of the counties, cities, and towns set forth in MLBR Appendix 5.
(b) All documents related to cases and proceedings for the Eastern Division shall be filed in the Clerk's Office in Boston. All documents in cases and proceedings for the Central Division shall be filed in the Clerk's Office in Worcester. All documents in cases and proceedings for the Western Division shall be filed in the Clerk's Office in Springfield.
(c) The debtor or petitioning creditor(s) shall file an original petition only in the appropriate division office. (b) Documents are required to be filed in electronic form unless otherwise provided in the Court's Electronic Case Filing Administrative Procedures. Filers, who are permitted to file documents in paper form, may do so in any division of the Office of the Clerk or pursuant to applicable local rule.
(c) Unless otherwise determined by the Court, documents shall be deemed filed upon receipt by the Clerk.
(d) Unless a different time is set by court order, the last day for filing any document under any order, statute, or rule shall end at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
(e) Venue for a division shall be determined in the same fashion as venue for a district under 28 U.S.C. § 1408 and applicable case law. In the event of an emergency, any division office may accept for filing on behalf of another division office an original petition under any chapter of the Bankruptcy Code, if accompanied by a written request for transfer to the appropriate division.
(d) Any bankruptcy judge may, in the interest of justice or to further the efficient performance of the business of the Court, reassign a case or proceeding to any other bankruptcy judge, except that, when reassignment is required by reason of recusal, the Clerk shall reassign the case or proceeding on a random basis to any available judge within the district.
(e
(f) In the absence of a judge before whom a case or proceeding is pending, emergency matters submitted tofiled with the Court may be acted upon by any available judge as determined by the Clerk or as provided for by the absent judgeCourt.
(f) The Clerk shall transfer any document pertaining to a case or proceeding mistakenly filed in the wrong division office to the proper division office and any such document shall be deemed to have been filed on the date first received in any office of the Clerk.
(g) Any party filing a document in the Clerk's Office of the Clerk which relates to a matter scheduled for hearing within twenty four (24) hours of the filing shall specifically bring to the attention of the Clerk, through an accompanying cover letter, the fact that the matter is must file and serve the document not later than 10:00 AM on the Court business day preceding the scheduled for a hearing within 24 hours of the filing, and request that it be delivered to the judge date, unless otherwise ordered by the Court. If a party files a document after such deadline, unless otherwise permitted by order of the Court, the party shall immediately. bring the document to the attention of the applicable Courtroom Deputy, see MLBR Appendix 5, via email and telephone. Notwithstanding such notice, failure to comply with this Rule may result in the document being deemed filed late and not being considered by the Court.
(h) Pleadings and other documents filed in a case or adversary proceeding may be removed from the Clerk's Office only if the Court has allowed a motion to remove the documents Nothing in this Rule is intended to change or alter any deadlines established by the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, the Local Rules, or the Court.