Refunds and revised assessments have already been issued to hundreds of homeowners, but many notices and checks are now being returned
Los Angeles County officials are urging wildfire victims to update their mailing addresses after dozens of property tax refund checks and critical assessment notices were returned as undeliverable.
In the wake of the destructive wildfires earlier this year, the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office launched a large-scale relief effort to identify affected properties and issue tax refunds and reductions where eligible. But many of the addresses on file are no longer valid due to widespread property loss, officials said Tuesday.
The Assessor’s Office proactively assessed damage to properties within state-declared disaster zones, even for homeowners who had not submitted formal claims. That effort aimed to ensure all eligible property owners received temporary reductions in assessed value and, in many cases, tax refunds under California’s disaster relief laws.
Refunds and revised assessments have already been issued to hundreds of homeowners, but many notices and checks are now being returned by the postal service, county officials said. In numerous cases, the original mailing address was tied to a structure that was destroyed by the fires.
“Getting relief into the hands of wildfire victims is a top priority for our office,” said Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang in a statement. “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. But we need their help in updating contact information so that relief can reach them without delay.”
Homeowners are urged to update their mailing address by visiting https://assessor.lacounty.gov/homeowners/change-mailing-address.
In addition to the Assessor’s efforts, the Treasurer and Tax Collector is offering deferrals of property tax payments and cancellation of late penalties. The Auditor-Controller is also working to apply revised valuations to upcoming tax bills and facilitate refund disbursements.
