(a) Within 20 days after a seizure under AS 17.30.110 - 17.30.126, the commissioner of public safety shall, by certified mail, notify any person known to have an interest in an item with an appraised value of $500 or more, or who is ascertainable from official registration numbers, licenses, or other state, federal, or municipal numbers on the item, of the pending forfeiture action. Additionally, the commissioner of public safety shall publish notice of forfeiture action of an item valued at $500 or more in a newspaper of general circulation in the judicial district in which the seizure was made, or if no newspaper is published in that judicial district, in a newspaper published in the state and distributed in that judicial district. The notice shall be published once each week during four consecutive calendar weeks. The requirements of this subsection do not apply to the forfeiture of controlled substances which have been manufactured, distributed, dispensed, or possessed in violation of this chapter or AS 11.71, regardless of their value.
(b) Upon service or publication of notice of commencement of a forfeiture action under this section, a person claiming interest in the property shall file within 30 days after the service or publication, a notice of claim setting out the nature of the interest, the date it was acquired, the consideration paid, and an answer to the state's allegations. If a claim and answer is not filed within the time specified, the property described in the state's allegation must be ordered forfeited to the state without further proceedings or showings.
(c) Questions of fact or law raised by a notice of forfeiture action and answer of a claimant in an action commenced under this section must be determined by the court sitting without a jury. This proceeding may be held in abeyance until conclusion of any pending criminal charges against the claimant under this chapter or AS 11.71.