Structures

This page has resources from officials and private citizens. Citizen voices may be more straight forward than government and other officials.

Destroyed Homes

This is a snippet of a very comprehensive, step-by-step guide from a Santa Rosa fire survivor who’s home was completely destroyed. It has Short Term, Medium Term, and Long Term advice on dealing with various agencies, insurance, etc.

“My heart is breaking for all of you going through the fires in Southern California. I put this list together after losing our home in 2017 and I hope a few of you find it helpful. Be safe.”

Short Term
If you own your home, download an updated estimated value from realtor.com or other real estate site. Do this quickly.

Ask your cell phone carrier if they will give you an unlimited data, voice and message plan at a discount.

Be VERY careful about signing up for assistance. We were scammed two days after the fire by a fake FEMA website. The scammers put in a claim for $20k against our property address.

Following on the above, watch for disaster centers where you will be able to meet directly with assistance representatives.
In my town, the local newspaper dedicated an entire floor to allow residents to register with DMV, IRS (to get previous
years returns), FEMA, insurance companies, etc. all in one place. FEMA will assign you a number. Write that down somewhere safe.

Register with the Red Cross.

Open a dedicated checking account just for fire expenses and payments from insurance or relief foundations. Our credit union did this at no charge and gave us a debit card for that account.

If you have a mortgage, request a waiver of payments and interest charges for at least three months.

Get a PO Box or trusted friend who will receive your mail. United Policyholders (https://www.uphelp.org) is an excellent resource. Use them as much as you can or need.

Lastly, and most importantly, take your time with all long-term decisions. Don’t be pushed by insurance or any one else to finalize anything. You won’t be in your right mind for a while, maybe a long while. Go easy on yourself. I made a three-task rule each day, and if only one of those tasks was completed, that was ok. You are going to spend hours on the phone, you often won’t get the answers you need on the first, second, third call. Take a break. Do anything you can to take care of yourself.

FOR THE COMPLETE GUIDE, CLICK HERE.

Credit to Kristen Wolfram,
shared from https://www.shoeboxarts.com/post/la-fire-resources


Not that this info will add to a lot but here’s some info for fire survivors. Not a wildfire house fire survivor but a recent house fire survivor, I can attest to all of this. (And am a wildfire survivor, too. Ours burnt when I was 10 so I was blissfully unaware of logistics.) And my cousin was a major incident adjuster for years. And have some things to add.

 

1.) Your possessions will be reduced to line items. In your mind’s eye, walk yourself through your home and make a list of all possessions. You have far more than you think. Insurance will depreciate everything you own and choose the most generic cheap possessions. You can and should dispute them with receipts. Comb through your emails and wallet to find your receipts. You should have up to a year to audit them. Find old pictures you may have taken of your home. They will be like gold. Costco can and will provide you with years’ worth of receipts.
 
2.) Contact the county assessor’s office because the value of your home will need to be reassessed. Yes, you will have to continue to pay your taxes. And your mortgage despite the condition of your home. Trust. They will not bend.
 
3.) If anything is left, board up from the inside. Unfortunately thieves may be lurking. And if possible, board it up yourself. Boarding up our 1300 sq ft home cost over $3500 from a company.
 
4.) If any possessions are salvageable, Dawn dish soap combined with OdoBan works wonders. An ozone machine will salvage paper products.
 
5.) This will be a long and grueling process. Your insurance company will raise your rates. You can file a complaint with your state insurance commissioner but but be prepared that your rate may double.
 
6.) Read your insurance policy front to back. They may pay your rent to be housed. They may not. Depends on your policy.
 
7.) If/when you’re housed, your policy may have something called ALE. Additional Living Expenses. Keep ALL your receipts for having to live after the fire. You can claim those expenses with your insurance and you can claim the differences in utility bills at your rental vs your home if there is an increase. Your utility companies can send your a ledger of what you paid each month in the previous year.
 
8.) This is a huge Life event. Expect grief and lots of it. Yes, it’s “just stuff” but it was your stuff, your story, your family heirlooms and pictures. It hurts.
 
9.) Regather all important documents related to your home and you. Vehicle titles, birth certificates, passport, marriage licenses and house deeds. Lock your credit.
 
10.) It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

A  rebuilding update :

This morning I visited  the Recovery Resources center that the county has set up in Pasadena.  

I was focused on getting information about the rebuilding process, and how getting a  permit to rebuild a house will be different from the way it was before the fires.   As of this time, it will not be  all that different. That  said, the County is pledging that it will find ways to streamline certain  parts of the process.  If we are rebuilding “like for like,” ( this means we are replacing a house with a new one of  the same floor area as the former house, the same front, side, and rear yard setbacks , same height, and same  number  of bedrooms.  ), we will be allowed to do so even if the house  would not be allowed under the current  zoning code.  If we want to add a  new ADU, we can without losing  the “like for like” protection; the ADU would be under a separate permit.

Another biq question I had for the County this morning was, are we really going to have to wait until after the County’s clean up is done (which is projected to take at least 6 months  from now), before we can submit plans  for plan check and approval ?  They could not answer this  with certainty, as this and other policies are still being decided, but  as of now it seems to be the case.

Starting the “schematic design” process now would be a way to take advantage of the 6 month + waiting period while the County does the clean up. Schematic design includes figuring out the scope of the project (single family home, duplex, ADU, additional units, garage, attached / detached, etc.) and the basic architectural design.  Then, when the County completes the clean-up, we can submit  plans to LA County Regional Planning for approval. If the plans are like-for-like, this approval will be somewhat expedited, and if it is a new, larger design, it will take somewhat longer.  After this approval, we will submit the plans to LA County Building & Safety  (a division of Public Works) for regular plan check. This phase will be no different than it always was, with the exception of the County’s pledge to streamline the agency referral process (that’s when I get approvals from a dozen odd different County agencies ranging from Fire to school districts).  

Foundations:

When an existing concrete foundation has survived the fire, there is a good chance that it can be built on anew, making the construction processes much faster and more economical.  It will depend on the design and current condition of the foundation. This is something my structural engineer would assess when access to the site is allowed.

Mobile living units:

While they are normally allowed only during construction, they will now  be allowed starting when the clean up is done, until 2 years from now. Sewer  and electrical hook ups,  and a permit,  will be required.

Property  Taxes:

If you are rebuilding a home, you will want to avoid a steep increase in property  taxes on the new home.  I was glad to hear from the County Assessor this morning that while a change in ownership will trigger a reassessment of the property at market value, a rebuild will not.  If I  rebuild a home and increase the square footage, only the new  square footage will be assessed at current market value.  If I rebuild a home  like for like and add an ADU, only the ADU will be assessed at current market value.  At current values, it’s nonetheless something to keep in mind.

Summary:

Not a whole lot has changed in the building permit & approval process, but the County is pledging to streamline certain elements of it.  I was born and raised in Altadena and I’m committed to helping my community rebuild.  I have been taking projects through the design and permitting process  in L.A. County for 20 years, and right now I’m helping folks pro bono with getting certain paperwork in order for their insurance, strategizing about their rebuilding goals, answering questions, and doing what I can to help. Please contact me here or through my website www.brierarchitecture.com  if I can be of assistance.

Jonathan Brier,Architect

California Architect License # C 34001

Damaged Homes

Document Damage Thoroughly:
Take photos and videos before cleaning for insurance claims.

Don’t Rush Cleanup:
Waiting for official debris removal programs can ensure proper handling of toxic materials.

Stay Hydrated and Rested:
Recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.


Preparing to Return Home After the Fires: FAQ

Frequently asked questions about getting back in to inspect your home. It will be at least one week before residents can begin returning home. Inspections, search operations, and assessments are being conducted as quickly as possible to expedite residents’ safe return to their homes and properties.

Partially Damaged Home Advice

By Lisa Mattson, Tubbs Fire Survivor
Santa Rosa, CA

My home was badly damaged in the Tubbs Fire of 2017, and my garage and yard destroyed. I feel as if I could write a book on handling insurance claims, dealing with smoke damaged personal property and rebuilding in a disaster zone in California. Three years after the fire, we were still under construction—still dealing with crappy contractors and repairs. We “finished” our rebuild about 3.5 years after the fire—though we fought with our garage builder on repairs until around 2022 before giving up. After the fire, we kept hearing officials say the phrase, “This is going to be a marathon, not a sprint.” Boy, did they mean it. Below is a compilation of advice I’ve given to other fire victims based on my experience. I am not an attorney, and this document in no way should be taken as legal advice. Also, every company and claim are different. I’ve heard plenty of horror stories of people in Sonoma County getting jerked around by their insurance far worse than we did, but also heard about a few good experiences. We were lucky in some ways, unlucky in others.
Read the whole story here

Smoke and ash damage from a wildfire

Taxes:

State, Federal Tax Filing Deadlines Extended for LA County Residents Due to Fires

As a result of the devastation caused by the Los Angeles-area wildfires, residents countywide will have additional time this year to file their federal and state income taxes.

DETAILS HERE: 

Property owners may be eligible for tax relief if their property is damaged or destroyed by a calamity, such as fire or flooding.
To qualify, individuals must file an Application for Reassessment: Property Damaged or Destroyed by Misfortune or Calamity with the Assessor’s Office within 12 months from the date the property was damaged or destroyed.

https://assessor.lacounty.gov/tax-relief/disaster-relief

Call: (213) 974-8658
Monday – Friday
8:00am – 5:00pm

My home burned down. Do I still have to pay my mortgage?

Homeowners affected by a disaster are often eligible to reduce or suspend their mortgage payments for up to 12 months, according to Fannie Mae, the Federal National Mortgage Assn.

Homeowner’s Guide to Risk Reduction and Remediation of Residential Smoke Damage

Businesses

This is a list specifically for small business owners navigating this crisis. I navigated Prime Pizza through the pandemic and learned some lessons during that time. Hoping this helps some people.

1. Communicate with your staff. Tell them what you know and what you don’t know. Establish a regular cadence of communication. If you plan on paying them during this closure, tell them that so they can plan accordingly.

2. If you have insurance submit a claim for business interruption. Talk to your adjuster about what is and isn’t covered, i.e. there are nuanced differences between coverage for evacuation orders v.s. utility shutoffs. They will also reimburse for spoiled product and other things.

3. Apply for every piece of government assistance available! FEMA, SBA disaster loans, Toast POS loans, small business grants etc. These loans have VERY favorable rates and are the cheapest money you will ever get. You do not know what is around the corner and even if you feel secure in the moment that could change. If you don’t end up needing the money you can always pay it off. This will help you be able to pay your employees and invest in the business.

4. Email/call all of your vendors and ask for a temporary pause on invoices. These people have likely been with you for a while and they will understand. All of our vendors gladly said yes to this.

5. Also re: vendors- reach out to them and ask for product donations. If you are a new or very small business you will need all the help you can get. Restarting business and having to purchase all new inventory (especially if you don’t have insurance) is costly. Cast a wide net- anyone you do business with in any way is a vendor, including your POS company etc. If you are a more established business, you can take the cash value of these donations and use it to start a fund for your most affected employees. This is what we did at Prime.

6. GoFundMe campaigns: this one is tricky for me. There are a lot of resources out there that you can use before you have to turn to gofundme. My feeling is that it is better to see what you can get from insurance/govt/vendors before asking your community to give you money. Others feel you have to strike while the iron is hot. It’s a personal decision. One option is to create a very specific campaign and only send it to a group of people you know can afford it, i.e. a fund for your most affected employees that you send to investors, vendors etc.

7. Tell your story! This is going to be a very impactful time for your business. Your customers and community want to hear from you. Document what you are doing on social, reach out, interact, connect with the community. It’s a time to be open, not closed.

8. If you are an established business and you know you are going to be ok, spend your time helping others who are less fortunate.
It’s the right thing to do and it’s good business. It will come back to you.

If anyone has any questions I am happy to be a resource in any way I can.
Please email me at zak@primepizza.la Take care and best of luck!