A Quick Guide for Altadenans After the Eaton Fire
So, Your House Burned Down, is Significantly Damaged, or You've Been Displaced... Now What?
Hello, friends. I hadn’t planned for this to be the first thing I sent out, but we have so much to share and I think this is one of the most important and a good place to start. Everything about the last month since the Eaton Fire has been a lot. A LOT. It turns out losing your home and your town is a new full time job. We’ve all been absolutely overwhelmed and inundated with tasks and the flood of information and the intrusion of outsiders, even the well intended ones. All at a time when our brains are struggling to process this level of trauma. I know people remain to be confused about what they should do because I field the multiple posts on various topics coming into our groups and socials daily, so I’ve compiled a Quick Guide to help you prioritize, especially if you just can’t think but know you need to do something and don’t want to miss any critical deadlines. This is also a good checklist if you feel like you’ve been pretty on top of things but just want to be sure you haven’t missed anything important at this stage of things. This one is a marathon, not a sprint, but here’s where to begin…
Insurance Claims
By now I’m sure you’ve filed an insurance claim and have familiarized yourself with the limits and terms of your coverage, down to the specifics of all of extra coverage, like extended replacement and code compliance. If you haven’t, request your full policy, not just the Declarations page.
Did you have a home business or business equipment at home? Don’t forget to file a claim with your business insurance if you have that as well.
Had you made purchases on a credit or debit card in the last 60-90 days that could be covered? Reach out to your card providers and inquire. Chase is especially good about refunding those purchases.
For advice on insurance claims, United Policyholders is the best resource out there. You can find them in person at the Disaster Recovery Center or online on their website. Get familiar with your policy and its coverage limits and ensure you take the necessary steps to get every penny. Keep an eye on the latest from Ricardo Lara, the State Insurance Commissioner. There may be a provision to get your full Coverage B (personal contents) limit without an inventory. Insurers have until February 28 to respond and we’ll keep everyone updated on that story. Just keep in mind, if you end up joining any litigation, you’ll need that inventory down the road, but not having money to restart your life now ride on that overwhelming inventory would be huge.
And if you haven’t already had a chance to, watch the excellent and informative panel of insurance lawyers presented by the Beverly Hills Bar Association so you understand the process and know your rights.
FEMA
Go online and apply for FEMA now if you haven’t already. If you’re insured, you won't get much, but it's something and most importantly, it'll stop the identity thieves from doing it for you (that is happening). You may also need your FEMA letter for other items so this is another box to tick. Deadline is March 10. Worried about that FEMA-GoFundMe business? Don’t be. It was all misinformation from the rumor mill.
Update: Deadline extended to March 31
Red Cross
Also file with the Red Cross. Again, it’s not much but it is something and it's better you get it than identity thieves. Deadline to apply is February 14.
USPS
Go online to USPS and file a mail forward to a temp address. Ideally, a PO Box if you have one. (We’re forwarding mail to our business address since who knows where we’ll be in six months). Mail was being held at the main post office on Lincoln (since our post office on N Lake burned down), but there’s no need to do any of that in person. They know we’ve all been scattered to the wind and will forward it all for you.
Samaritan’s Purse
As tempting as it is, do not attempt to sift through the site yourself. It's not safe (dangerous burned overhead trees, unstable walls and all of the toxins out there from asbestos, to arsenic to lead and fiberglass, being a few of the issues). For most of us, there's very little to be had but the closure of knowing it’s all gone. Call Samaritan's Purse and get scheduled. They’ll send out a team to help you do recovery who come with experience, knowledge, tools and equipment to help you. They're fantastic. Yes, they are a religious organization, but sharing their faith is not required and they are incredibly respectful. Highly recommend.
EPA Phase 1 Clean Up
This is the clean up of the most dangerous items on our properties from lithium ion batteries to EVs to propane tanks. It’s already happening and requires no effort on your part. You can see if your property has been completed on the interactive map here.
FEMA + Army Corps of Engineers Phase 2 Clean Up & ROE (Right of Entry) Forms
Don't stress too much about the FEMA Phase 2 and ROE either. You have time to get it in. We can now say with some confidence after getting quotes for ourselves and hearing the quotes neighbors have received that this will cost more to try to do yourself. I get three quotes for every major purchase I make and this was no different. Quotes seem to range from 40k to 70k with some getting quotes north of $100k. So far, there’s no option we’ve found as good for the cost as what FEMA will do with the Army Corps of Engineers. All of our insurance policies have a set amount for debris removal and FEMA will take that and no more. If you are uninsured or underinsured, this will be free for you. Unless there are some very special circumstances, it's a no brainer to go this route. Read their FAQ to learn more. Deadline to submit the ROE is March 10. Find and submit ROE forms here.
Property Tax Reduction
Homeowner? File with the County Assessor for a property tax reduction now. It'll take your taxes down to land value only until a home is rebuilt or you sell. If you rebuild you can look forward to no property tax increase so long as you do not exceed 120% of your original square footage. If you have a mortgage lender and impound your taxes, be sure to give them a call and let them know this is happening to adjust your impound.
Securing Your Property
This is especially concerning for everyone whose homes are still standing. Some have chosen to engage private companies to fence their properties. Some have even hired private security. But everyone can call the Altadena Sherrif’s Department to request check ins. Those who would like a home check can send their name, address and a reliable callback number to altadenahomecheck@lasd.org to request the free service. You can also place a No Trespassing sign on your property to allow LASD to enforce no trespassing on your property (they can’t without one). And to that end you can file Form 602 (Trespass Arrest Authorization) for your property that gives LASD the authority to arrest violators and the DA the ability to prosecute them.
SBA Loans
The SBA administers FEMA disaster lending. Low interest SBA disaster loans are available for homeowners, renters, nonprofits, and businesses of all sizes affected by the wildfires and straight-line winds in California including the Eaton Fire. Even if you don’t think you’ll need this money, taking a loan at interest rates this low (2.5% at the time of writing) and giving yourself some options down the road is not a bad idea. The $500k and $100k loans can be stacked up to $2M and can be used for everything from rebuilding to replacing the personal contents of your home to refinancing a mortgage. You can easily apply online. Deadline to apply is March 10.
Update: Deadline extended to March 31
Freeze Your Credit
We’ve already had friends report scammers trying to fraudulently purchase their properties using aliases and fake email addresses. There is a special place in hell for these people. If you haven’t already, freeze your credit with all three agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). You can thaw it as needed, eg when applying for those SBA disaster loans. While you’re at it, if you’re a homeowner, consider using a service like Home Title Lock as well. We can’t be too safe right now.
Disaster Recovery Center
If you can, I highly recommend doing most, if not all of this at the Disaster Recovery Center on Woodbury that is open seven days a week, from 9am to 7pm. You can do it all here, from insurance help to tax filing to USPS and DMV and so much more all in one spot. It's absolutely worth the time. Check out their page for a full directory of available services.
The Misinformation Machine is Real
Lastly, be careful of what you read and believe no matter the source. There's an incredible amount of information out there and an alarming amount of it is misinformation which is why we are so fickle about who we allow into our groups and what gets posted. Things are changing day to day so sometimes things are simply outdated by the time they get to you. In other cases, someone hears something they’re sure is right and they’re like the town crier spreading it far and wide (case in point, the whole FEMA GoFundMe mess). Know your sources.
This is not by any means an exhaustive list but it is a solid overview of the top line before you get into the minutiae and I really hope it helps. Hang in there, neighbors. We’ve got this. I don’t know how we’ve got this, but we’ve got each other, and there is no community out there like ours, so somehow, we do.
This list is incredible Shawna! Thank you for compiling it, had to have taken a lot of time.
Thank you so much, Shawna! It is wonderful to have all the information in one place. 🙏