Missing deadline to clear fire debris may get pricey for scores of LA property owners

While the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it had cleared its last pieces of debris in Altadena last week, you still may see charred rubble in the area.

Early on in Los Angeles fire recovery efforts, affected homeowners got to choose between having the government handle debris removal or doing it themselves. Now, more than 200 properties where owners went solo are overdue.

While some of these property owners are making progress, the county has started declaring dozens of lots public nuisances.

Why is this happening?

Nearly 2,000 property owners officially opted out of government cleanup, while others essentially withdrew by not filing paperwork.

All of these owners were supposed to get county approval for the opt-out, a fire debris removal permit, and a certified contractor to handle cleanup by June 30.

Those that didn’t now have kickstarted a process that likely will leave them to foot a hefty cleaning bill.

The breakdown

Lisette Guzman, an L.A. County Public Works spokesperson, says there still are 218 properties with debris between both fire zones — 69 in the Eaton area and 149 in the Palisades.

Many of these owners currently are working to get their lots cleared.

“Property owners are in various stages of the fire debris removal permit and are working with private contractors to remove remaining debris,” Guzman said.

Some of the cleanup delays are because of insurance coverage complications or private contractors, who are working through a backlog of properties with ash and debris.

However, a small portion of owners has not responded to written notices and physical postings at the properties. That's causing concerns about health hazards.

What’s next?

The public nuisance declaration allows the county to enter the property to remove the ash and charred materials. The owner is later charged for that work, a price tag that easily can exceed tens of thousands of dollars.

If owners don’t pay up, the county could recover it through a property lien.

In unincorporated L.A. County, 24 properties so far have been declared a public nuisance. The county has gone in and cleared about a dozen lots for “uncontrolled fire ash and debris.”

Both residential and commercial property owners can appeal this process, which is called a summary abatement notice and order.

According to the county, owners have seven calendar days from the date the notice was posted, mailed, or published to submit their appeal. The director of public works will then issue a response within seven calendar days.

Notices can be mailed to public works’ building and safety division or dropped off in person at either the Altadena or Calabasas one-stop permit center. You can learn more about how to do that on the county’s recovery website here.