Debris removal records
Right-of-entry or private contractor documents.
Donate Pacific Palisades real estate after the January 2025 fire
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Donate Pacific Palisades Real Estate After the Fire
The January 2025 Palisades fire left thousands of Pacific Palisades owners with cleared lots, damaged homes and a rebuild that may take years. Some families will rebuild; others will not. Real Estate with Causes reviews donated Palisades lots and homes, and we work with owners, their insurers and their advisors on the timing.
Tell us about the property
Every property gets a look. Name, phone and email are the only required fields.
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We Handle the Paperwork
Form 8283 Done Right
501(c)(3) Recognized Charity
Palisades lots after debris removal
Coastal-canyon lots in the Palisades carry high land value even without a house. Once cleared, a lot is typically appraised on comparable lot sales and the rebuild rules that apply to it.
How the insurance claim fits
Insurance proceeds for the dwelling and debris removal are separate from the land. Whether you keep them, use them, or assign any remaining claim with the property is decided before the gift, and your advisor should see the numbers, because proceeds you keep can affect your basis and the deduction.
City of Los Angeles transfer taxes
The Palisades is in the City of Los Angeles, which adds its own transfer taxes, including Measure ULA on high-value sales. How they apply to a gift is confirmed when we prepare the deed.
Why donate instead of rebuilding or selling
Rebuild costs, insurance availability and years of displacement lead some owners to step away. A sale into a crowded market of burned lots can bring a discount. A donation ends the taxes and decisions, and the deduction rests on an independent appraisal.
For property held more than a year, the deduction is generally its appraised fair market value, limited to 30% of AGI with a five-year carryforward. Your advisor should weigh any casualty loss you have claimed.
What to have ready when you call
Bring whatever you have.
Insurance claim status
Settlements to date and what remains open.
Loan and tax status
Mortgage balance and any property taxes owed.
Pacific Palisades donation questions, answered
Can I donate a Palisades lot that has been cleared? +
Yes, for review. Cleared lots are land and are appraised on comparable lot sales.
Does a casualty loss deduction affect a later donation? +
It can, because a casualty loss reduces your basis. Your advisor should coordinate the two.
Do City of Los Angeles transfer taxes apply to a gift? +
Their application to a deed with no consideration is confirmed when we prepare it.
Can I keep my insurance proceeds? +
Proceeds are separate from the land. Decide with your advisor what you keep before the gift.
Is there a waiting period before a lot can be donated? +
No fixed period, but most gifts follow debris removal and the insurance settlement.
We do not provide tax or legal advice. See IRS Publication 526, Publication 561 and the Form 8283 instructions, and consult your own advisor.
Related guides
Tell us about the Palisades property and we will review it
Send the address and where debris removal and the claim stand, and we will tell you plainly what a donation would look like.