Whatcom bankruptcies continue to decline

Written by Dave Gallagher | The Bellingham Herald | December 13, 2011

Whatcom County is on pace to post the lowest number of bankruptcy filings since the national financial meltdown.

This area had 53 bankruptcy filings last month, the second lowest monthly total of 2011, according to data from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Western District in Seattle. So far in 2011 this area has 689 filings, which would make it the lowest total since 2008, which had 579 bankruptcy filings in Whatcom County. The peak year in this current economic downturn was in 2010, which had 808 filings locally, while 2009 had 796 filings.

The 2011 tally is still much higher than pre-recession levels, however: In 2006, Whatcom County had 283 bankruptcy filings.

Across the western district, which includes King County, 1,115 bankruptcy filings were made last month, a 9.1 percent decrease from a year earlier. Skagit County had 46 filings, down from 58 in November 2010.