Alaska State Bankruptcy Exemptions
Sec. 09.38.010. Homestead exemption
(a) An individual is entitled to an exemption as a homestead of the
individual's interest in property in this state used as the principal residence
of the individual or the dependents of the individual, but the value of the
homestead exemption may not exceed $67,500.
(b) If property owned by the entirety or in common is used by one or more
individual owners or their dependents as their principal residence, each owner
is entitled to a homestead exemption of that owner's interest in the property
as provided in (a) of this section. The aggregate value of multiple homestead
exemptions allowable with respect to a single living unit may not exceed
$67,500. If there are multiple owners of property exempt as a homestead, the
value of the exemption of each individual owner may not exceed the individual
owner's pro rata portion of $67,500.
(c) If property that includes a homestead is sold under an execution, the sale
becomes effective upon confirmation by order of the court. The court shall
enter the order of confirmation unless, within 60 days after the sale, the
individual repurchases the property under this section or the court extends the
time for confirmation upon the filing of a timely motion by a party in
interest. The individual may repurchase property, including that individual's
homestead, at a sale on execution before confirmation by paying into court the
costs of the sale plus the lesser of either (1) the difference between the
highest bid and the amount of the exemption in the property, or (2) the amount
of the creditor's claim. If the individual does not exercise the repurchase
right under this subsection, the clerk of the court shall first remit an amount
determined to be exempt to the individual from the proceeds of sale and the
balance less the cost of the sale to the creditor. For the purpose of
collecting an amount remaining unpaid on a judgment after repurchase of
property by an individual under this subsection, the creditor or the creditor's
assignee may not make another levy on the property repurchased.
(d) Upon entry of the order of confirmation under (c) of this section and
expiration of the time period for repurchase, the clerk may execute a deed to
the property and when delivered it shall be sufficient to convey all title of
the individual in the premises sold to the purchaser at the sale.
Sec. 09.38.015. Property exempt without limitation
(a) An individual is entitled to exemption of the following property:
(1) a burial plot for the individual and the individual's family;
(2) health aids reasonably necessary to enable the individual or a dependent to
work or to sustain health;
(3) benefits paid or payable for medical, surgical, or hospital care to the
extent they are or will be used to pay for the care;
(4) an award under AS 18.67 (Violent Crimes Compensation Board) or a crime
victim's reparations act of another jurisdiction;
(5) benefits paid or payable as a longevity bonus under AS 47.45;
(6) compensation or benefits paid or payable and exempt under federal law;
(7) liquor licenses granted under AS 04;
(8) tuition credit or savings accounts under a higher education savings account
established under AS 14.40.802 or an advance college tuition savings contract
authorized under AS 14.40.809(a);
(9) a permanent fund dividend to the extent allowed under AS 43.23.065.
(b) The right to benefits held by the state on behalf of an individual that may
become payable by reason of disability, unemployment, or illness, amounts held
in the teachers', judicial, or public employees' retirement system, or in the
elected public officers' retirement system under former AS 39.37, and child
support collections made by the child support services agency are exempt.
(c) Property of the state, a municipality, and of the Alaska Municipal Bond Bank
Authority or another state public corporation is exempt.
(d) Real property held by a cemetery association established under AS 10.30 for
the purpose of a cemetery and not exceeding 80 acres is exempt.
Sec. 09.38.017. Exemption of retirement plan interests and payments
(a) In addition to the exemption under AS 09.38.015(b), the following are exempt
from a claim of an individual's creditor:
(1) the interest of the individual in a retirement plan; and
(2) the money or other assets payable to the individual from a retirement plan.
(b) The exemptions provided by (a) of this section do not apply to a
contribution made by an individual to a retirement plan within 120 days before
the individual files for bankruptcy.
(c) The exemptions provided by (a) of this section do not prevent the payment of
benefits under a retirement plan to an alternate payee under a qualified
domestic relations order. In this subsection, "qualified domestic relations
order" has the meaning given in 26 U.S.C. 414(p).
(d) A retirement plan exempt from claims under (a) of this section is
conclusively presumed to be a spendthrift trust under this section.
(e) In this section,
(1) "alternate payee" has the meaning given in 26 U.S.C. 414(p)(8);
(2) "individual" means an individual who is a participant in, a beneficiary of,
or an alternate payee of a retirement plan;
(3) "retirement plan" means a retirement plan that is qualified under 26 U.S.C.
401(a), 26 U.S.C. 403(a), 26 U.S.C. 403(b), 26 U.S.C. 408, 26 U.S.C. 408A, or
26 U.S.C. 409 (Internal Revenue Code).
Sec. 09.38.020. Exemptions of personal property subject to value limitations
(a) An individual is entitled to an exemption in property not to exceed an
aggregate value of $ 3,750 chosen by the individual from the following
categories of property:
(1) household goods and wearing apparel reasonably necessary for one household;
(2) if reasonably held for the personal use of the individual or a dependent,
books and musical instruments; and
(3) family portraits and heirlooms of particular sentimental value to the
individual.
(b) An individual is entitled to exemption of jewelry, not exceeding $ 1,250 in
aggregate value, if held for the personal use of the individual or a dependent.
(c) An individual is entitled to exemption, not exceeding $ 3,500 in aggregate
value, of implements, professional books, and tools of the trade.
(d) An individual is entitled to the exemption of pets to the extent of a value
not exceeding $ 1,250.
(e) An individual is entitled to an exemption of one motor vehicle to the extent
of a value not exceeding $ 3,750 if the full value of the motor vehicle does
not exceed $ 25,000.
Sec. 09.38.025. Exemption of unmatured life insurance and annuity contracts
(a) Except as provided in this section or AS 09.38.017, an individual is
entitled to exemption of unmatured life insurance and annuity contracts owned
by the individual. If the contracts have accrued dividends and loan values
available to the individual aggregating more than $ 12,500, a creditor may
obtain a court order requiring the individual debtor to pay the creditor, and
authorizing the creditor on the debtor's behalf to obtain payment of, the
amount of the accrued dividends and loan values in excess of $ 12,500 or the
amount of the creditor's claim, whichever is less.
(b) A judgment creditor or other claimant of an insurer may not levy upon any of
the assets or securities held in this state as a deposit for the protection of
the insurer's policyholders or policyholders and creditors. Deposits under AS
21.09.270 may be levied upon if provided in the order of the director of
insurance, Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, under
which the deposit is made.
Sec. 09.38.030. Exemption of earnings and liquid assets
(a) Except as provided in (b), (c), (f), and (h) of this section and AS
09.38.050, an individual debtor is entitled to an exemption of the individual
debtor's weekly net earnings not to exceed $438. The weekly net earnings of an
individual are determined by subtracting from the weekly gross earnings all
sums required by law or court order to be withheld. The weekly net earnings of
an individual paid on a monthly basis are determined by subtracting from the
monthly gross earnings of the individual all sums required by law or court
order to be withheld and dividing the remainder by 4.3. The weekly net earnings
of an individual paid on a semi-monthly basis are determined by subtracting
from the semi-monthly gross earnings all sums required by law or court order to
be withheld and dividing the remainder by 2.17.
(b) An individual who does not receive earnings either weekly, semi-monthly, or
monthly is entitled to a maximum exemption for the aggregate value of cash and
other liquid assets available in any month of $ 1,750, except as provided in
(f) and (h) of this section and in AS 09.38.050. The term "liquid assets"
includes deposits, securities, notes, drafts, accrued vacation pay, refunds,
prepayments, and receivables, but does not include permanent fund dividends
before or after receipt by the individual.
(c) A creditor may levy upon earnings exempt under (a) and (b) of this section
if the creditor's claim is
(1) enforceable against exempt property under AS 09.38.065(a)(1) or (3); or
(2) enforceable under an order of a court of bankruptcy under 11 U.S.C. 1301 --
1330 (Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978).
(d) If the individual debtor is a nonresident, the limitations on garnishment
imposed under 15 U.S.C. 1673 apply.
(e) The following property, unless exempt without limitation under AS 09.38.015
or 09.38.017, upon receipt by and while it is in the possession of the
individual, shall be treated as earnings, income, cash, or other liquid assets
under this section:
(1) benefits paid by reason of disability, illness, or unemployment;
(2) money or property received for alimony or separate maintenance;
(3) proceeds of insurance, a judgment, or a settlement, or other rights
accruing as a result of bodily injury of the individual or of the wrongful
death or bodily injury of another individual of whom the individual was or is a
dependent;
(4) proceeds or benefits paid or payable on the death of an insured, if the
individual was the spouse or a dependent of the insured; and
(5) amounts paid under a stock bonus, pension, profit-sharing, annuity, or
similar plan or contract, providing benefits by reason of age, illness,
disability, or length of service.
(f) The state may execute on a judgment awarded to the state or on a judgment of
restitution on behalf of a victim of a crime or a delinquent act, and an
officer or agent of the state or a state employee, or a former officer, agent,
or employee of the state may execute on a judgment to that person against a
party to an action who is incarcerated for a criminal conviction by sending a
notice of levy to the correctional facility in which the person is
incarcerated. All money in an incarcerated person's account at a correctional
facility is available for disbursement under a notice of levy under this
subsection, in the following order of priority:
(1) to support the dependents of the incarcerated person and to provide child
support payments as required by AS 25.27;
(2) to satisfy restitution or fines ordered by a court to be paid by the
incarcerated person;
(3) to pay a civil judgment entered against the incarcerated person as a result
of that person's criminal conduct;
(4) to reimburse the state for an award made for violent crimes compensation
under AS 18.67 as a result of the incarcerated person's criminal conduct;
(5) to satisfy other judgments entered against a prisoner in litigation against
the state; in this paragraph, "litigation against the state" has the meaning
given in AS 09.19.100.
(g) A creditor may levy upon earnings or liquid assets exempt under (a) or (b)
of this section if the money is held outside a correctional facility and the
claim is for court-ordered restitution to be paid by a prisoner to the creditor
under a judgment for conviction of a crime or an adjudication of delinquency.
(h) In this section,
(1) "correctional facility" has the meaning given in AS 33.30.901;
(2) "official detention" has the meaning given in AS 11.81.900(b);
(3) "prisoner" means a person held under the authority of state or municipal
law in official detention.
Sec. 09.38.050. Increased exemption amount
(a) An individual debtor who is in possession of money that was obtained as
payment for an injury or disability may request the court to order an increase
in the exemption amounts under AS 09.38.030. The individual debtor shall submit
affidavits or offer testimony in support of the request as required by the
court. The court shall determine the exemption amount after consideration of
the individual's responsibilities and all the present and anticipated property
and income of the individual, including that which is exempt.
(b) The exemption amounts under AS 09.38.030 may be increased when the
individual submits an affidavit, under penalty of perjury, stating that the
individual's earnings alone support the individual's household; by so doing,
the maximum part of the individual's aggregate disposable earnings for any week
subject to execution may not exceed the amount by which the individual's
disposable earnings for that week exceed $ 668, or, if the individual is
claiming an exemption for cash or other liquid assets under AS 09.38.030(b), a
maximum amount of $ 2,750 available in a month is exempt.
Sec. 09.38.055. Bankruptcy proceedings
In a proceeding under 11 U.S.C. (Bankruptcy) only the exemptions under AS
09.38.010, 09.38.015(a), 09.38.017, 09.38.020, 09.38.025 and 09.38.030 apply.
Note: Exemptions may have changed since our last update. For the latest updates on these property exemptions, speak to a local bankruptcy lawyer.
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