2002-1(e):  Notice on NON-PARTIES:  COURTESY NEF - Notice from CM/ECF When You are Not a Party

LBR 2002-1(e) allows a person or entity to electronically file a Request to be Added to Courtesy NEF.  The benefit is that the person or entity becomes added to the court electronic docket to receive a notice of electronic filing every time a document is filed and every time an electronic notice is added to the docket.  The Courtesy NEF program began in Fall 2008, and is widely popular.  Prior to this, an interested person or entity had to file a Request for Special Notice and hope that other parties mailed documents to them. The Courtesy NEF program is very useful to the court because in bankruptcy court, it is rare for a creditor to qualify to file a Request for Special Notice.  Yet, in 2008, the court was on pace to receive 60,000 unauthorized requests for special notice.  The court had no choice but to review each request which caused significant labor and confusion.  That delay, confusion and unnecessary labor is no longer a factor.

The goals of the "Courtesy NEF" program are:

• Allow persons/entities to be aware of bankruptcy case activity even if they do not intend to file motions or other requests for relief
• Save the court from processing unauthorized "Requests for Special Notice"
• Avoid confusion by being clear that neither the court nor parties in the case are required to serve any documents on "Courtesy NEF" recipients 
• Have a uniform process to make the request, using a court form.  See link below

To be clear:

• Other parties are not required to serve Courtesy NEF recipients with filed documents.  
• The court is not required to serve Courtesy NEF with notices, orders or judgments.