The U.S. Courts reported **203,118 Chapter 13 petitions in fiscal year 2025**, compared with 195,971 in fiscal year 2024. That increase is a national court-system measure. It is not a count of estates, inherited homes, or Chapter 13 cases involving real property.
A narrow but useful signal
If a title search identifies a debtor name or a foreclosure notice, Chapter 13 may be a reason to check the federal docket and local records. The filing date, schedules, plan, confirmation order, dismissal, and discharge each answer different questions. A national count cannot establish any of them for a specific matter.
Research checklist
- Search the debtor's exact legal name and district.
- Save the case number, petition date, status, and docket retrieval date.
- Compare scheduled real property with the parcel's legal description.
- Check trustee or court orders before relying on a sale or transfer document.
- Route stay, plan, exemption, and sale-authority questions to counsel.
The bankruptcy and estate property research article provides broader filing context.
Methodology and source
The figure is from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts' *Judicial Business 2025*, accessed August 7, 2026. No inherited-property rate is calculated because the source does not classify petitions by inheritance or parcel.
FAQ
Does Chapter 13 automatically stop an estate property sale?
Do not infer the answer from a filing count. The case docket, orders, parties, and applicable law control.
Professional disclaimer
Educational research only; not bankruptcy or legal advice.