State officials confirmed last week a four-year deferment from property taxes for people who own land in areas affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires.
The fires devastated Los Angeles County communities in January 2025 during an extreme windstorm, destroying more than 16,000 structures and killing 31 people. In recent weeks fire survivors and local elected officials have expressed concerns over the still-pending status of many requests to the county to reassess the tax burden of fire-affected properties.
A letter Thursday from Cynthia Stein, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s senior counselor for LA recovery, to LA County Treasurer and Tax Collector Elizabeth Buenrostro Ginsberg said, “Survivors whose properties have not yet been reassessed may currently owe taxes on the pre-fire value of their property. Additionally, survivors do not know if their request for penalty cancellation will ultimately be granted and fear that if they do not pay their taxes by April 30 they may face penalties and interest payments they cannot afford.”
Joy Chen, executive director of the Every Fire Survivor’s Network, said applicants must file a separate application for each property tax bill. The deferment covers all qualifying tax bills through June 30, 2030.
She thanked several local officials for their advocacy regarding the tax relief county Assessor Jeff Prang, state Sens. Sasha Renée Pérez and Ben Allen, Assembly members John Harabedian and Jacqui Irwin, and county Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
“There are so many hard things in this recovery,” Chen said in a statement. “But working together with our civic leaders to improve the system and unlock the funds our families need to get home is exactly the kind of catalytic direct relief that EFSN is here for.
“This is just one more example of how, as survivors working in partnership with our leaders, we turn shared strength into faster recovery,” she added.
The county has a webpage for property owners seeking tax deferment that details the application procedure.