The latest federal bankruptcy statistics contain more bad news for Wisconsin’s farmers. Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies continue to rise even though overall bankruptcies continue to fall.
Although total bankruptcy filings (including Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 12 and Chapter 13) in the Western District of Wisconsin fell 2.8% in 2018 and have decreased every year since 2010, the number of Chapter 12 farm bankruptcy filings in the Western District of Wisconsin actually increased 17.8% in 2018 and have increased every year since 2014.
Out of 94 federal judicial districts, the Western District of Wisconsin ranked 2nd in the number of Chapter 12 bankruptcy cases filed in 2018, with 33 cases. The top four districts for 2018 Chapter 12 filings are: Kansas (35), Western District of Wisconsin (33), Nebraska (27), and Minnesota (26).
This is the third consecutive year that the Western District of Wisconsin has ranked in the top three in Chapter 12 bankruptcy filings. In 2017, the Western District of Wisconsin ranked 1st with 28 cases and in 2016, the Western District of Wisconsin ranked 3rd with 21 cases.
