A certified copy of a petition, with schedules omitted, commencing a proceeding under the Bankruptcy Act of the United States or of the order of adjudication in such proceeding, or of the order approving the bond of the trustee appointed in the proceedings, may be filed, indexed and recorded in the office of the recorder where conveyances of real estate are recorded in the same manner as deeds. It shall be the duty of the recorder to file, index under the name of the bankrupt, and record such certified copies filed for record in the same manner as deeds, for which services the recorder shall be entitled to the same fees as are provided by law for filing, indexing and recording deeds.
2-1902.Lis Pendens - Bankruptcy.
Article II. Civil Practice · Part 19. Lis Pendens · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceSection 2-1902 lets a certified copy of a bankruptcy petition, adjudication order, or trustee's bond order be recorded with the county recorder the same way a deed is recorded, indexed under the bankrupt's name.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/2-1902
Plain-English Summary
Section 2-1902 gives a bankruptcy case the same kind of public real-estate record that a lis pendens notice gives an ordinary lawsuit. A certified copy of the bankruptcy petition (schedules left out), the order adjudicating the case, or the order approving the trustee's bond can be filed, indexed, and recorded in the office where deeds are recorded, in the same manner as deeds.
The recorder's duty is specific: file the document, index it under the bankrupt's name, and record it just as a deed would be recorded. The recorder collects the same fees for this work as the law provides for filing, indexing, and recording deeds — nothing extra, nothing less.
The practical effect mirrors the lis pendens sections that surround it: it lets anyone searching title to real estate discover that a bankruptcy proceeding may affect the owner's property, without needing a separate research process to find that out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What bankruptcy documents can be recorded under this section?
A certified copy of the petition commencing the bankruptcy proceeding, with the schedules omitted; the order adjudicating the case; or the order approving the bond of the trustee appointed in the proceeding.
Why record a bankruptcy petition with the county recorder?
Recording gives public notice, through the real-estate records, that a bankruptcy proceeding may affect the bankrupt's real property — much like a lis pendens notice does for an ordinary lawsuit affecting real estate.
How is the recorded document indexed?
The recorder indexes it under the name of the bankrupt, the same way deeds are indexed, and records it in the same manner as deeds are recorded.
What fees does the recorder charge for this filing?
The same fees the law provides for filing, indexing, and recording deeds. The section doesn't create a separate fee schedule for bankruptcy filings.
Does this section create a new lien or legal right?
No. It addresses how these bankruptcy documents get filed, indexed, and recorded in the real-estate records — it doesn't itself create a lien, priority, or other substantive right in the property.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 84-1308.)
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: illinois bankruptcy lis pendensrecording bankruptcy petition illinois recorderbankruptcy notice real estate illinoistrustee bond recording illinois