Post-Judgment Demand Letter in Alaska: What to Send Before You Enforce

You won the judgment. The 48-hour automatic stay has passed. The debtor has not paid. Before you spend $25 on a writ fee and another $65–$150 on a process server, there is one step worth considering: a written demand letter telling the debtor exactly what you will do next.

A post-judgment demand letter is not required under Alaska law. You can skip straight to a writ of execution, wage garnishment, or bank levy the moment the stay expires. But a well-written demand often produces voluntary payment from debtors who can pay but have been hoping the judgment would just go away.

What a Post-Judgment Demand Letter Should Include

Keep it factual and specific:

The judgment details — case number, court location, date of judgment entry, and the original award amount.

The current balance — principal, accrued post-judgment interest, and any recoverable execution costs. For judgments entered in 2026, the statutory rate under AS 09.30.070 is 6.75% per annum and is fixed when the judgment is entered. Spell out the math: "A $3,000 judgment accrues $16.64 in simple interest over 30 days at 6.75%: $3,000 principal + $16.64 accrued interest through [date] = $3,016.64 total owed."

A payment deadline — give the debtor a specific date, typically 10 to 14 days from mailing. Shorter deadlines feel aggressive; longer ones invite procrastination.

The enforcement tools you intend to use — name them plainly. "If I do not receive payment by [date], I will file for a writ of execution to garnish your wages, levy your bank accounts, and attach your Permanent Fund Dividend." This is not a threat — it is a factual description of the legal tools available under Alaska execution procedure.

Payment instructions — tell the debtor exactly how to pay: certified check or money order payable to you, mailed to your address. If you are willing to accept installment payments through Form SC-18, say so and include the terms.

Why It Works

Most individual debtors who lose in small claims are not sophisticated. They may not understand that a writ of execution may issue for five years after judgment entry and that after five years the judgment becomes dormant unless the court authorizes execution after a motion using Form CIV-565 (AS 09.35.020 and Civil Rule 69), that you can garnish their PFD, or that a recorded judgment lien remains active for 10 years from judgment entry on nonexempt real property they own in that recording district. Laying out the consequences in writing prompts action from people who otherwise would have ignored the judgment indefinitely.

For business debtors — contractors, landlords, service providers — a demand letter creates a documented last chance before you disrupt their payroll or freeze their operating account. Many business owners pay at this stage to avoid the operational disruption of a garnishment.

When to Skip the Demand Letter

There are situations where going straight to enforcement is the better move:

• The debtor explicitly told you they will not pay
• The debtor is closing bank accounts or transferring assets — a demand letter gives them time to move money out of reach
• The PFD distribution window is approaching and you need the execution writ served on the Department of Revenue before the disbursement date
• You already sent an informal request for payment after the judgment and received no response

In these cases, the $25 writ fee is money better spent than another piece of paper the debtor can ignore.

Sending the Letter

Send it by regular first-class mail and certified mail with return receipt requested to create a delivery record. Keep the receipt and a copy of the letter for your records.

If the debtor makes a partial payment in response, document the amount, date, and method, and apply it first to recoverable execution costs, then interest, then principal.

The Alaska Judgment Collection Guide includes templates for both the post-judgment demand letter and the transition to formal enforcement when the debtor does not respond.

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