Thousands of property tax re-assessment notices — some containing tax refund checks — sent by the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office to victims of the Eaton and Palisades fires were returned to the office because the addresses are invalid.

About 1,500 letters telling the property owner that their property tax was lowered because the house no longer existed, plus refunds to about 300 people who previously paid their property taxes, never reached the affected homeowners, explained Steve Whitmore, spokesperson for LA County Assessor Jeffrey Prang. That’s because the owners still listed the house’s address, which no longer exists because the house was destroyed in the wildfires.

To rectify the problem, each property owner must change their address informing the county Assessor’s Office of a proper address where they can receive important tax documents via the U.S. mail.

The easiest way an affected property owner can change a mailing address is to go to the county Assessor’s website: assessor.lacounty.gov and click on the change of mailing address icon and type in their current address, Whitmore said.

“We want them to update their current mailing address to ensure they get their delivery of this release. Do it electronically online,” he said. “It is important it is a stable address for the foreseeable future,” he added.

The notice of re-assessed value and for some, their refund check, will take about four to six weeks to receive. But Prang’s office said these may arrive quicker since the office is prioritizing all fire-related changes.

“Getting relief into the hands of wildfire victims is a top priority for our Office,” said Prang in a prepared 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.”

This may have been at the bottom of the property owners’ to-do list, as many are wrangling with insurance adjusters as well as federal, state and local governments involved in recovery efforts and debris clearance. However, Prang’s office has already processed 18,000 claims called the “Misfortune & Calamity” form available to property owners affected by the wildfires or other natural disasters.

But if a property owner has not done so, there is a button on the website to file the claim, which is an application for reassessment of the property’s value for property damaged or destroyed. Therefore, most affected property owners are aware of the value change on their land, which will be lowered if no house exists.

Prang’s office noted that updating the mailing address does not change the official records or status of the property’s location.

The Assessor’s Office is working with the county Auditor-Controller to ensure that revised property valuations are applied to future tax bills. Also for those who paid their property taxes, to make sure they receive their property tax refunds for those whose property was damaged, destroyed or negatively impacted by the fires.