Find Bankruptcy Records in Hoonah-Angoon Census Area
Hoonah-Angoon Census Area bankruptcy records are part of the federal court system managed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Alaska. Anyone filing Chapter 7, 11, 12, or 13 in the Hoonah-Angoon area files in Anchorage, which is the only federal bankruptcy court in the state. You can search Hoonah-Angoon bankruptcy records through PACER online, through McVCIS by phone at no cost, or by visiting the Anchorage courthouse in person. The City of Hoonah clerk and the local magistrate court handle state and municipal matters separately from federal bankruptcy filings.
Hoonah-Angoon Bankruptcy Overview
Hoonah-Angoon Courts and Federal Bankruptcy Filing
The Hoonah-Angoon Census Area is in Southeast Alaska and falls under the First Judicial District. Bankruptcy cases from this area go to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Alaska in Anchorage. The court address is 605 W. 4th Avenue, Suite 138, Anchorage, AK 99501. The main clerk line is (907) 271-2655. Toll free in-state is 1-800-859-8059. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Federal holidays are closed.
The local state court for Hoonah is the Hoonah Court. Its mailing address is Box 430, Hoonah, AK 99829. Customer service is (907) 945-3668. Fax for record requests is (907) 945-3637. Email is 1HNmailbox@akcourts.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Weekend arraignments are at 10:30 AM. This is a magistrate court, and it handles state civil and criminal matters. It does not process bankruptcy cases. Magistrate Judge Paul Korchin serves Haines, Hoonah, Skagway, and Yakutat, having been appointed in 2022.
For state court case searches, the Alaska CourtView portal is free and public. Search by name or case number at records.courts.alaska.gov. Results go back to about 1990. This can help track down civil judgments or liens that appear in related bankruptcy filings. CourtView does not include confidential case types, and it caps results at 500 per search.
Note: The Hoonah Court is a state magistrate court and has no role in bankruptcy proceedings, which are handled entirely at the federal level in Anchorage.
City of Hoonah and Local Records Access
The City of Hoonah website provides access to municipal services and the public information request process. The city clerk's office is at P.O. Box 360, Hoonah, AK 99829. Jennifer Bidiman serves as city clerk, reachable at (907) 945-3663 ext. 20. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
The city uses a public information request form (Form 1-2019) for records requests. You can submit in person at city hall, by mail, by email, or by phone. The city clerk covers departments including Administration, Public Works, and Planning. Under Alaska Statute AS 40.25, most municipal records are public. Note that municipal records are different from federal bankruptcy case files, which live in the Anchorage federal court system.
The Hoonah Indian Association also maintains a tribal court in Hoonah. Tribal court matters are separate from both state and federal bankruptcy proceedings. Members of the Hoonah Indian Association who have legal matters involving the tribe should contact the association directly. Tribal courts operate under their own jurisdictions and do not handle standard bankruptcy cases.
The Hoonah Court image below shows the local courthouse that serves the area for state-level matters.
See courts.alaska.gov/courtdir/1hn.htm for court directory details. Copy fees at Hoonah Court are $2 per page for standard copies and $5 for certified copies.
How to Search Hoonah-Angoon Bankruptcy Filings
PACER is the primary way to search Hoonah-Angoon Census Area bankruptcy records online. Create a free account at pacer.uscourts.gov. PACER lets you search case dockets, pull documents, and view filing history. The fee is $0.10 per page with a 30-page cap per document. If your quarterly charges total less than $30, they are waived. You can search by debtor name, case number, or Social Security number if you have PACER filing access.
For a free phone option, call McVCIS at 1-866-222-8029. The local line is (907) 271-2658. McVCIS runs 24 hours a day. It tells you debtor name, case number, trustee name, and case status. You search by name or case number. No fees and no login needed. It is a fast way to confirm a case exists before you go into PACER and start paying for documents.
Cases filed since January 2000 can be viewed on public terminals at the Anchorage courthouse during business hours at no charge. Older cases are at the Federal Records Center in Seattle, part of the National Archives and Records Administration. You need the case number first. More at archives.gov. NARA retrieval takes about four weeks and starts at $70 for the first box.
Note: Remote access through PACER and McVCIS means Hoonah-Angoon residents do not need to travel to Anchorage just to check on a bankruptcy case status.
Bankruptcy Exemptions for Hoonah-Angoon Residents
Residents of the Hoonah-Angoon Census Area who file bankruptcy can choose Alaska state exemptions or the federal set. Alaska's homestead exemption is $72,900 under AS 09.38.010 through AS 09.38.510. The federal homestead is $31,575. Most Alaska filers pick the state exemptions for the higher home protection. To use Alaska exemptions, you must have lived here for 730 days under 11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3).
Alaska also protects a motor vehicle up to $4,050. Household goods, books, and clothing get $4,050. Tools of the trade are covered up to $3,780. The Permanent Fund Dividend is exempt up to $1,500 per person. There is no wildcard exemption under Alaska law. If you have not lived in Alaska for the full 730 days, you look back to where you lived most of the 180 days before that period.
The venue rule under 28 U.S.C. § 1408 requires 180 days of Alaska residence or business presence before you can file here. The Alaska Trust Act at AS 34.40.110 allows self-settled asset protection trusts, but these interact with bankruptcy law in complex ways. Most people dealing with trust planning and bankruptcy need an attorney.
Legal Aid and Help for Hoonah-Angoon Filers
Alaska Legal Services Corporation covers the Hoonah-Angoon Census Area. ALSC has 11 offices across Alaska and serves low income residents with free civil legal help. Toll free intake is 1-888-478-2572. ALSC runs free bankruptcy classes in Anchorage and Fairbanks to teach people how to file Chapter 7 paperwork themselves. Classes are by appointment. Call (907) 452-5181. Full details at alsc-law.org. Income limits apply, generally at 125 percent of federal poverty guidelines.
The Alaska Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service can connect you with a bankruptcy attorney. Call (907) 272-0352 or 1-800-770-9999. The first half hour is capped at $125. You get up to three attorney names to call. All referred attorneys are active Bar members in good standing. Visit alaskabar.org for more.
Alaska Free Legal Answers at alaska.freelegalanswers.org lets low income users post up to three civil legal questions per year. Licensed Alaska lawyers answer within about five to seven business days. Bankruptcy and debt questions are accepted. No travel is needed and the service is available from any internet-connected device.
The U.S. Trustee for Region 18 oversees Alaska bankruptcy cases. The acting trustee is Jonas V. Anderson. The office is in Seattle at 700 Stewart Street, Suite 5103. Phone is (206) 553-2000. Region 18 also covers Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. See justice.gov/ust/ust-regions-r18 for trustee listings and 341 meeting information. Most 341 meetings for Chapter 7, 12, and 13 now run by Zoom.
Nearby Southeast Alaska Boroughs
Hoonah-Angoon Census Area borders several other Southeast Alaska jurisdictions. Find bankruptcy resources for neighboring areas here: