Latest news with #JeffPrang
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Many fire victims are owed a tax refund. L.A. County can't find some of them
Many residents who lost their homes in the Palisades or Eaton fires should have received a tax refund because their properties are now worth a lot less. But in about 330 cases, U.S. Postal Serice workers tried unsuccessfully to deliver the checks to vacant or destroyed homes, since residents hadn't provided a new address. Los Angeles County officials said Tuesday that they have sent roughly 9,700 checks totaling $26 million to residents whose properties were reassessed because of wildfire damage. Those residents had already paid their taxes and were owed a refund after their property values plummeted. 'I'm concerned that people probably need that money back right now,' L.A. County Assessor Jeff Prang said of the residents who haven't received their checks. Prang said there were similar issues with the roughly 2,000 reassessment alerts his office sent out. The office has obtained new mailing addresses for many residents who filed tax relief claims asking for their properties to be reassessed. But other eligible households never filed, creating a gaping hole in the county's address book. Residents who were displaced by the fires can update their mailing addresses at the county assessor's website. "We understand the impact that this has on people,' said Assistant Auditor-Controller Robert Campbell. 'We don't want these folks who have already been impacted by a disaster to also fall into some type of limbo.' Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Thousands of wildfire victims are having tax refunds sent back - Here's how to get your money
The Brief Thousands of victims of January's Palisades and Eaton fires are entitled to some money from Los Angeles County. County officials have started mailing checks, but many are getting sent back, because the mailing addresses are for destroyed buildings. Anyone who's eligible for money from the county should update their address on the LA County Assessor's website. LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - If you lost your home in the Palisades or Eaton fires earlier this year, Los Angeles County may owe you some money. The county has started sending out checks, but thousands are being sent back. FOX 11 spoke with LA County Assessor Jeff Prang about how you can make sure you get your money. The backstory The Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed more than 16,000 structures between the Pacific Palisades, Pasadena and Altadena communities. After the fires, the Assessor's Office re-evaluated the value of properties in the disaster zones. Many properties saw their value lowered, entitling owners to tax refunds. SUGGESTED: California lawmakers announce new legislation supporting inmate firefighters Thousands of checks have already gone out, but fire victims can also apply for relief on the Assessor's website, Dig deeper The County Auditor-Controller has already sent out thousands of checks to those who are entitled to some money, but there's one big problem. In many cases, the address of record is the destroyed property, so the Post Office is sending the checks back, marking them undeliverable. SUGGESTED: PCH is back open, and Malibu businesses couldn't be happier Prang says they've already gotten some of the checks back, and he expects thousands more to follow. The fix is simple. All you have to do is update your mailing address on the Assessor's Office website at The Source Information in this story is from an interview with Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang, the county Assessor's website, and City News Service.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Los Angeles wildfire victims may be missing relief money, County Assessor says
The Los Angeles County Assessor's Office is warning wildfire victims that they may be missing out on important tax relief or refund checks due to invalid addresses. Officials said Tuesday that while many property owners have already received lower property tax bills or even partial refunds through state disaster relief programs, hundreds of those checks and notices are now being returned to the county because the listed mailing addresses are no longer valid. 'In numerous cases, the original property—and with it, the recorded mailing address—was destroyed in the wildfires,' the assessor's office said. 'Getting relief into the hands of wildfire victims is a top priority for our Office,' said County Assessor Jeff Prang. 'But we need their help in updating contact information so that relief can reach them without delay.' After the fires, the Assessor's Office says it took a proactive approach in reviewing damage across all areas included in the official disaster declarations. All properties, even those in which the owner didn't file paperwork, have received lower property values if any damage was found. That decrease in property value results in a lower tax bill for homeowners and, in many cases, tax refunds. Homeowners whose properties were affected may have already received a Notice of Assessed Value Change, which is a letter that explains how much their property's taxable value has been temporarily reduced due to damage. This can significantly reduce their property tax bills until the home is repaired or rebuilt, officials said. But to get refund checks or future notices without delay, homeowners must make sure their current mailing address is on file with the county. Pacific Coast Highway reopens early following Palisades Fire closure The Assessor's Office stresses that a change in address does not change the location of the property, but simply ensures that important documents and refunds are delivered to where the owner can actually receive them. 'We understand how devastating these fires have been, and we are committed to making sure impacted property owners receive the support they're entitled to,' Prang said. Los Angeles County homeowners can update their mailing address by visiting the County Assessor's website. For more details about wildfire-related tax relief, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
