Circling the News has heard repeatedly from Palisades Fire Victims that have been told by L.A. City Building and Safety that neither the Mayor nor the City Council has approved waiving the building fees for those who are forced to rebuild because of the Palisades Fire.
Councilmember Traci Park had introduced a motion (Park-Blumenfield) that was approved by the city council on February 18 with 11 members voting yes and four absent that approved waiving fees.
The Pacific Palisades Community Council had sent a letter on March 15 “strongly supporting a full waiver of rebuild permit fees for structures destroyed in the Palisades Fire.”
Pete Brown, Park’s public information officer said in a March 18 email that “There will be a verbal update provided to the Ad Hoc Committee for LA Recovery which the Councilwoman chairs at next week’s meeting.”
Residents who want to rebuild are asking the City to waive building fees.
Below are three of the letters that CTN has received:
A reader wrote, “It would be a travesty if the City of LA did not waive the building fees for fire victims. The City of Malibu and the County of LA have waived these fees after every fire as far back as I can remember.
“Shame on Mayor Bass for not taking care of this already. We have been ready to submit our plans for several weeks now but are still waiting for these fees to be waived. This delay in giving simple instructions to the Building and Planning Departments to waive all fees is costing fire victims a lot of money and quite frankly they deserve better from their elected officials.
This note was sent to Traci Parks office: “The residents were told there would be no permit fees on 100-110% of builds. But now, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“Mayor Bass (yes, you, Karen) gave us her word on this. Tracy needs to get on this; otherwise, FOR SALE signs will be popping up all over the place, and people will default on loans and taxes. We’ve been burned once, and the community won’t stand for it any longer. Please. Please. Please. Give this your immediate attention. P.S. (I voted for you!)
Another resident sent a letter to Governor Newsom, Mayor Bass, Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Engagement Ensley, Councilmember Park, Supervisor Barger, Supervisor Horvath, Director of City Planning Bertoni, Director of Regional Planning Bodek, Chief Recovery Officer Soboroff, and Steadfast LA Founder Caruso:
I am writing to implore you to use your influence to ensure that planning and building permit fees for The City and County of Los Angeles are waived for all rebuild of homes destroyed in the recent Eaton and Palisades Fires. This issue is of critical importance. We cannot know if we are going to be able to rebuild until we know what the rebuild will cost. We need a definitive answer regarding the waiver of permit fees.
Many of us have been paying property taxes for several decades. Requiring property owners who lost their homes to wildfires, to pay fees to the city or county in order to rebuild their homes adds insult to injury.
Finally, there is precedent in California for waiving those fees in response to devastating fires:
In 2018, in response to the Woolsey Fire, the City of Malibu waived planning and building permit fees for properties destroyed in the disaster. https.www.malibucity.org/DocumentCenter/View/24698/Fee-Waiver-FAQ. The deadlines for these waivers have been extended. https://www.malibucity,org/958/Fee-WaiverDeadlines.
In 2020, in response to the Glass Fire in Northern California, the City of Santa Rosa waived planning and other permit fees. https.www.srcity,org/2674/Resilient-City:–Zoning
In 2021, in response to the Dixie Fire in Northern California in 2021, Nevada County waived planning and building permit fees for properties destroyed in the disaster. https:I /yubanet.corn/regional/nevada-county-provides-priority-permitting-and-fee-waiver-for-winter-storm-damage/
We’ve taken to heart that the city and county have expressed their desires to help our communities rebuild. We are prepared to invest in our town’s future, but we cannot move forward until we know that the planning and building permit fees have been waived.
That you for pursuing this. The expense of rebuilding will strain most of our insurance resources. It is critical that the city hears our pleas. Mayor Bass, we are waiting for your answer.
Do you know of any mass tort lawsuits to sign up for re Palisades fire!
why is it always so difficult to work with the city?
The city is beyond broke, today they announced they are $1 Billion in the red/shortfall. They spend ungodly amounts of money on the “homeless industrial complex” lining each others pockets. Billions of dollars sent to local LA NGOs that don’t benefit anyone. They are so broke and mismanaged, I don’t feel like they are going to waive the fees. Look at their property tax plan for the Palisades, it will hurt longterm homeowners. The leaders are just grifters,
Hi Deborah,
The only mass tort lawsuit for the Palisades Fire I am aware of is with the Frantz Law Group.
Hope this helps,
Margot