Aleutians East Borough Bankruptcy Records
Aleutians East Borough bankruptcy records are federal court files maintained by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Alaska. All Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 cases filed by residents of Sand Point, King Cove, Cold Bay, Akutan, False Pass, and Nelson Lagoon go to the federal court in Anchorage. You can search these bankruptcy records online through PACER, call the free McVCIS phone line any time of day or night, or visit the clerk's office in person. This page tells you where to look, what local resources exist in the borough, and how to get copies of case files.
Aleutians East Borough Bankruptcy Overview
Aleutians East Borough Bankruptcy Case Filing
Every bankruptcy case from the Aleutians East Borough gets filed at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Alaska, located in Anchorage at 605 W. 4th Avenue, Suite 138, Anchorage, AK 99501. The court handles all case types: Chapter 7 liquidation, Chapter 11 reorganization, Chapter 12 for family farmers and fishermen, and Chapter 13 repayment plans. The clerk can be reached at (907) 271-2655 or toll-free at (800) 859-8059. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM, closed on federal holidays. For details about filings, forms, and procedures, go to akb.uscourts.gov.
The borough seat of Sand Point is the main hub for Aleutians East Borough residents. From Sand Point, the nearest courthouse for state matters is in Unalaska, about 200 miles away by air. For bankruptcy matters, you always go to Anchorage. Many filers handle everything by mail or electronically. After-hours emergency filings can be pre-arranged by calling the clerk at (907) 271-2655 during business hours. If something unexpected happens outside hours, the clerk's cell is (907) 382-5956. Do not mail cash. Payment at the court must be exact change, money order, or cashier's check.
Chapter 7 filing costs $338. Chapter 13 costs $313.
Cases filed since January 2000 are on public terminals in the clerk's office at no cost. Older closed files sit at the Federal Records Center in Seattle, maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration. If you need a pre-2000 file, contact NARA at (206) 336-5115 with the case number first. Retrieval costs $70 for the first box and $43 for each additional box.
Aleutians East Borough Clerk and Local Records
The Aleutians East Borough Clerk is Beverly Rosete. The main office is at 349 Humboldt Lane (PO Box 349), Sand Point, AK 99661. The main phone is (907) 383-2699. The borough also keeps an Anchorage office at 3380 C Street, Suite 205, Anchorage, AK 99503, which you can reach at (907) 274-7555. A King Cove office operates at P.O. Box 49, King Cove, AK 99612, phone (907) 497-2588. Office hours are generally Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Alaska time.
The Borough Clerk serves as custodian of all official borough records. That includes meeting minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and deeds. The Clerk attests deeds and other legal documents, administers oaths as required by law, and maintains the borough seal. Property records held at the borough include warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, liens, easements, and plat maps. Recording fees are $20 for the first page and $5 for each additional page. Certified copies carry an extra fee. If you need records related to property that came up in a bankruptcy case, the borough clerk's office is the right starting point for local filings. For land records in unorganized parts of the borough, the Alaska DNR handles recording through the state system.
To request public records, download and complete the AEB Public Records Request Form from the borough website. You can submit it in person, by mail, or by email. The authority for records access is Alaska Statute 40.25, the Alaska Public Records Act.
The borough website at aleutianseast.org is where you find forms, meeting agendas, and contact details for all staff. The borough is a 2nd Class Borough. Mayor Alvin D. Osterback can be reached at aosterback@aeboro.org. Finance Director Jacki Brandell is at jbrandell@aeboro.org. Administrator Anne Bailey is at abailey@aeboro.org. Natural Resources Director Ernie Weiss handles land-related questions at eweiss@aeboro.org.
Note: The borough clerk handles local records under AS 40.25, but bankruptcy court files are federal and must be requested through PACER or the Anchorage clerk's office directly.
Search Aleutians East Bankruptcy Records Online
PACER is the primary tool for finding Aleutians East Borough bankruptcy records. PACER stands for Public Access to Court Electronic Records. Create a free account at pacer.uscourts.gov. Once you log in, search by debtor name, case number, or Social Security number. The cost is $0.10 per page, capped at 30 pages per document. If your total charges in a quarter stay under $30, the fee is waived. For more Alaska-specific PACER information, see the court's PACER page at akb.uscourts.gov/pacer.
The official Aleutians East Borough website maintains records on its public information page. The borough's records page documents the local process under the Alaska Public Records Act.
Use the borough public records portal to request local government documents. Remember that for actual bankruptcy case files, you go to PACER or the federal court in Anchorage, not the borough office.
If you do not want to pay for PACER access, McVCIS is free. Call 1-866-222-8029 (toll-free) or (907) 271-2658 (Anchorage local). The system runs 24 hours a day. It gives you the debtor name, case number, trustee assigned, and current case status. You can search by name or case number. No login required. No charge. The Alaska toll-free line is 1-888-878-3110.
The Aleutians East Borough official website is a useful reference for local information related to the area.
Visit aleutianseast.org for borough codes, assembly meeting records, and property tax information that may connect to a bankruptcy search.
Note: When searching for a specific case, having the debtor's full legal name and approximate filing year will speed up your PACER search considerably.
Alaska Bankruptcy Exemptions for Aleutians East Residents
When an Aleutians East Borough resident files bankruptcy, Alaska state exemptions may protect certain property from creditors. The rules come from Alaska Statute 09.38.010 through 09.38.510, known as the Alaska Exemptions Act. To use Alaska's state exemptions, you must have lived in Alaska for at least 730 days before filing. That is a requirement under 11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3). If you have not lived here that long, you look back to where you lived most of the 180 days before that two-year window.
Alaska's homestead exemption is $72,900. That is more than double the federal amount of $31,575. The motor vehicle exemption is $4,050. Household goods, clothing, and books are exempt up to $4,050. Tools of the trade get $3,780 in protection. The Permanent Fund Dividend is exempt up to $1,500 per person. There is no wildcard exemption in Alaska, unlike the federal system. Fishermen in the Aleutians East Borough often have significant tools and equipment. Those tools may be covered under the $3,780 tools-of-trade exemption, though gear worth more than that may not be fully protected.
Alaska also has the Alaska Trust Act at AS 34.40.110. This law lets residents set up self-settled trusts with some creditor protection. Alaska was the first state to pass a usable domestic asset protection trust law, back in 1997. Fraudulent transfers tied to these trusts have a four-year look-back period under state law. These rules interact with federal bankruptcy law in complex ways. If you have significant assets, talk to a lawyer before filing.
The 180-day rule in 28 U.S.C. § 1408 sets the venue requirement. You must have lived in Alaska or had your main business assets here for the 180 days before filing, or for the longer part of those 180 days compared to any other state. The Alaska Public Records Act at AS 40.25 applies to state and borough records. It does not cover federal court files, but it matters when you are pulling deed or lien records from the borough that relate to a bankruptcy case.
U.S. Trustee and 341 Meetings in Aleutians East Cases
All Alaska bankruptcy cases fall under U.S. Trustee Region 18. The regional office is in Seattle at 700 Stewart Street, Suite 5103, Seattle, WA 98101. The phone is (206) 553-2000. The acting U.S. Trustee is Jonas V. Anderson. The U.S. Trustee Program is part of the Department of Justice. It watches over bankruptcy cases for fraud, appoints private trustees, and monitors compliance. More about Region 18 is at justice.gov/ust/ust-regions-r18.
After you file, the court schedules a 341 meeting of creditors. For Chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases, most 341 meetings in Alaska happen via Zoom as of 2024. You get a notice from the court with the video login after filing. Aleutians East Borough residents benefit greatly from this since the borough is remote and getting to Anchorage in person takes time and money. Chapter 11 cases have more direct U.S. Trustee involvement and may require more coordination.
Required Counseling Before Filing in Aleutians East
Before any individual can file bankruptcy, federal law requires completing a credit counseling course. The rule is in 11 U.S.C. § 109(h). You must finish this course within 180 days before you file. After discharge, a second class called pre-discharge debtor education is required before your debts are wiped out. Both classes run one to two hours. Costs range from $10 to $50 for the first class and $50 to $100 for the second. Fee waivers are available if your income qualifies.
Only agencies approved by the U.S. Trustee can provide these classes for Alaska filers. The full list is at justice.gov/ust/list-credit-counseling-agencies-approved-pursuant-11-usc-111. Alaska falls under Region 18 on that list. Approved providers serving Alaska include Consumer Debt Counselors, InCharge Debt Solutions, Money Management International, and Springboard Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management. All of these offer phone or online options, which matters a lot for Aleutians East residents who are far from any city. Keep your certificate of completion. You must include it with your bankruptcy petition or the clerk will not accept the filing.
Legal Help for Aleutians East Borough Filers
Alaska Legal Services Corporation is the main source of free legal help for low-income Alaskans. ALSC serves over 200 communities through 11 offices statewide. For Aleutians East Borough residents, the toll-free intake line is 1-888-478-2572. ALSC offers a free bankruptcy class that teaches you how to complete Chapter 7 paperwork on your own. The class is by appointment only. Call (907) 452-5181 to set one up. Learn more at alsc-law.org. Eligibility is generally up to 125 percent of federal poverty guidelines, and up to 200 percent in some cases. Seniors are often exempt from income limits.
The Alaska Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service connects you with bankruptcy lawyers. Call (907) 272-0352 or the toll-free line at 1-800-770-9999. Hours are 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The first half-hour consultation is capped at $125. Mention you were referred by the Lawyer Referral Service when you call the attorney. More details are at alaskabar.org.
Alaska Free Legal Answers is an online clinic. Low-income Alaskans can post civil legal questions and get answers from licensed Alaska attorneys at no cost. Bankruptcy and consumer debt questions are accepted. You can submit up to three questions per year. Visit alaska.freelegalanswers.org to use the service. It is available around the clock.
For consumer protection concerns tied to a bankruptcy, such as scams targeting debtors or petition preparer fraud, contact the Alaska Attorney General Consumer Protection Unit at 1031 W 4th Ave, Suite 200, Anchorage, AK 99501. Email is consumerprotection@alaska.gov. The unit investigates fraudulent bankruptcy schemes and coordinates with the U.S. Trustee Program on fraud cases. More at law.alaska.gov/department/civil/consumer.