Sec. 45.45.010. - Legal rate of interest; prepayment of interest. - Alaska Statutes

(a) The rate of interest in the state is 10.5 percent a year and no more on money after it is due except as provided in (b) of this section.

(b) Interest may not be charged by express agreement of the parties in a contract or loan commitment that is more than five percentage points above the annual rate charged member banks for advances by the 12th Federal Reserve District on the day on which the contract or loan commitment is made. A contract or loan commitment in which the principal amount exceeds $25,000 is exempt from the limitation of this subsection.

(c) [Repealed, Sec. 3 ch 84 SLA 1973].

(d) [Repealed, Sec. 2 ch 94 SLA 1981].

(e) [Repealed, Sec. 4 ch 146 SLA 1974].

(f) A bank, credit union, savings and loan institution, pension fund, insurance company, or mortgage company may not require or accept any percent of ownership or profits above its interest rate. This subsection does not apply to a loan if the principal amount of the loan is $1,000,000 or more and the term of the loan is five years or more, or to a negatively amortizing loan secured by owner-occupied real property originated under a program approved or sponsored by

(1) the federal government, including congressionally chartered national corporations; or

(2) the state if

(A) the real property that secures the loan is not subject to forced sale provided the owner has not violated the terms of the loan agreement including terms regarding

(i) payment of property taxes;

(ii) payment of hazard or fire insurance premiums;

(iii) keeping the property in reasonable repair;

(iv) not vacating the property for a period longer than 12 months;

(B) the owner may not be evicted from the real property that secures the loan unless a term of the loan agreement regarding a matter listed in (A)(i) - (iv) of this paragraph has been violated;

(C) neither the estate nor any heir of the former owner may be compelled to pay a deficiency judgment related to the loan; and

(D) the estate or an heir of the former owner has a right of first refusal and may either pay off the loan balance in full, if the former owner had equity in the property, or pay a sum not to exceed 95 percent of the value of the property at the time of exercise of the right of first refusal as determined by an independent real estate appraiser licensed under AS 08.87.

(g) Loan contracts and commitments covering one- to four-family dwellings may be prepaid without penalty, except federally insured loans that require a prepayment penalty.

(h) If the limitations on interest rates provided for in this section are inconsistent with the provisions of any other statute covering maximum interest, service charges, or discount rates, then the provisions of the other statute prevail.