- Who sends it
- The municipal clerk or the clerk's designee, by certified mail within 5 days after the first publication
- What it starts
- The final 30 days to redeem, counted from the first publication date
- Do this first
- Find the expiration date on the notice and call the clerk today for the exact redemption amount
What this notice is in Alaska
Under Alaska Stat. § 29.45.440(a), at least 30 days before the redemption period ends, the clerk must publish a notice once a week for four weeks in a row, or post it in three public places if there is no newspaper. It must state the date of judgment, the date the redemption period expires, and a warning that unredeemed properties will be deeded to the municipality right away and every person's interest will be forfeited forever.
The clerk must send a copy by certified mail to each record owner within five days after the first publication. If the assessed value is over $10,000, lienholders of record get a copy too.
What it does and does not mean
- It is your last formal warning before the home is deeded to the city or borough.
- Until the deadline you can still redeem by paying the judgment amount plus penalties, interest and costs, including the cost of this notice (§§ 29.45.400, 29.45.440(c)).
- Redeeming does not erase other debts. The property comes back subject to all accrued taxes, assessments and liens as if it had stayed in private ownership (§ 29.45.400).
- After the deed, the state file says the former owner may still be able to repurchase within limits, and may be owed surplus if the property is later sold (§§ 29.45.470, 29.45.480). Those rights are narrower, so do not count on them.
The deadline and how to count it
- Your right of redemption expires 30 days after the date of the first notice publication (§ 29.45.440(b)). Count 30 calendar days from the first publication date, not from the day the certified letter arrived.
- The notice itself states the expiration date. If it differs from your count, call the clerk and ask in writing.
- Deed: unredeemed property is deeded to the borough or city and recorded (§ 29.45.450). Two years after the deed, its validity is conclusively presumed and claims by the former owner are barred (§ 29.45.450(d)).
The Alaska property tax foreclosure page covers redemption, repurchase and surplus.
What to do this week
- Call or visit the municipal clerk's office and ask for the exact amount to redeem and the accepted forms of payment.
- Pay before the expiration date and get a receipt. The clerk records the redemption and issues a certificate (§ 29.45.410).
- If you cannot raise the full amount, ask family, a credit union or your mortgage servicer quickly. A mortgage holder may pay to protect its loan.
- Call Alaska Legal Services Corporation at 1-888-478-2572 if you think the notice or judgment is wrong.
- If the home is later sold, watch for the municipality's notice of excess proceeds. The state file says a claim filed more than six months after that sale is barred (§ 29.45.480(b)).
The rest of the Alaska process
See how foreclosure works in Alaska, the timeline, ways to stop it and free help in Alaska, or read the national guide to this letter.
Common questions
When exactly does my Alaska right to redeem end?
Thirty days after the date the redemption period expiration notice is first published (Alaska Stat. § 29.45.440(b)). The notice must state the expiration date, and the municipality must hold the property for at least one year from the transfer (§ 29.45.400).
Can I stay in my home until the redemption period ends?
Yes. Foreclosure for taxes does not affect the former owner's right to possession during the redemption period, unless waste is committed (Alaska Stat. § 29.45.430).
Is there any money for me if the city sells my home later?
If a municipality sells tax-foreclosed property within 10 years after the redemption period and never designated it for public use, the former record owner is entitled to the excess over taxes, penalty, interest and costs, and the municipality must send written notice of how to claim it (Alaska Stat. § 29.45.480(b)).
Other Alaska letters
- Notice of DefaultIn Alaska, the trustee records a notice of default that does two jobs at once: it says you are in default and it sets the date, time and place of the sale, at least 90 days away. You can stop the sale any time before that date by paying only what is past due plus actual fees and costs. Most Alaska foreclosures have no court case, so this notice is the main paper you will get.
- Notice to quit and forcible entry and detainer (FED) summons after a trustee's saleOnce the trustee delivers a deed to the buyer, Alaska law says the buyer is entitled to possession against you. If you stay, the buyer generally must give a written notice to quit and then file a forcible entry and detainer case, called an FED, in court. The summons must be served at least two days before the trial date, so act fast.
- Notice of foreclosure proceeding for delinquent property taxesIn Alaska, your city or borough collects property taxes and forecloses on unpaid taxes once a year through one superior court case. After it publishes the foreclosure list, it must mail you a notice describing the property and the amount due. You can pay the taxes, penalty, interest and costs up to the transfer, and you can object in court within 30 days after the last publication.