Did you sign this form?

Department of Revenue Special Notice

3 yr property tax exemptions July 25,2021 introduction.

The Law is RCW Chapter 84.70.010 ReductionInValueAssessments

Download link 3 pgs (full text)

Taxpayer’s Claim for Reduction of Assessments Resulting from Destroyued Real or Personal Property or Loss of Value in a Declared Disaster Area https://dor.wa.gov/taxes-rates/property-tax/destroyed-property

https://dor.wa.gov/taxes-rates/property-tax/destroyed-property

Under legislation passed in 2021, taxpayers may apply for a three-year exemption for physical improvement value added to single-family dwellings as a result of property destroyed by a qualifying natural disaster. The question is, “Is my home that was destroyed in the Oregon Rd, Elk Fire on August 18th, 2023 considered to be “in a Declared Disaster Area”?

This date has been extended to July 1, 2024. Applications must be submitted to the county assessor before starting construction on new improvements. Contact your local county assessor for more information or see the links listed under Forms and Publications. But per a phone call with Joe Hollenback at the end of June they would be willing to accept forms through July 1st, 2024.

RCW Chapter 84.70010_040 DestroyedPropAbatementyRefund

RCW84.70010_040

DestroyedPropAbatementRefund.pdf 3 pgss

IRS Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief

IRS disaster assistance and emergency relief

Emergency Managemeny Division EMD Disaster Assistance gfor businessses

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/disaster-assistance-and-emergency-relief-for-individuals-and-businesses

RCW84.41.041

allows assessors to use drones for inspection

RCW84.56.020(4)

changes allow seizure of personal property on accountds that owe over $50

DOR Form 62 00852 Damaged Timber Adjustment Application

Fire Demolition and Rebuilding FAQs 2pg flyer Site Plan, Asbestos, Regional Air then bldg permit

https://www.spokanecounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/50600/Spokane-County-Wildfire-Demolition-and-Rebuild-FAQs?bidId=

Fire Disaster Relief. Legislative changes

Exemption for Qualifying Single-Family Residences Damaged by a Natural Disaster

Department of Revenue Form 64-0117. File with your local county assessor prior to beginning construction. Applications received after June 30, 2026, may not be approved.

Additional Tax Relief Available to Wildfire Victims

Spokane County Assessor’s Office announced it has identified additional property tax relief available to those suffering from destroyed property because of the Gray and Oregon Road Fires.

Department of Revenue Form 640003

https://www.spokanecounty.org/5449/Fire-Disaster-Relief ESB 5454

not yet investigated

EHB 1271 Adopted IAAO standards for property inspections and includes personal property for delinquent payments in the current year

Engrossed House Bill 1271 (EHB 1271) amends multiple statutes

WA State Legislature COMMITTEE SIGN IN
https://app.leg.wa.gov/CSI/

REBUILDING

IRS Break

Wood Slash Pile after the burn. IRS Break. The Internal Revenue Service is giving fire victims a break in filing their taxes. It is not much but they have extended dates to file and pay taxes and are pointing out ways to get copies of previous tax returns for free along with checking out how to file for losses. We also have a new label, “4759-DR” to put on all of our tax paperwork. FUN, FUN, FUN. Simply do all of this while you burn the monstrous slash piles in the mud and cold.

“4759-DR”
You can file your taxes later, WOW!
June 17, 2024

WE ARE DISASTER RELIEF 4759. Remember to identify your return as a FEMA Disaster individual by putting “4759-DR” in bold at the top of your return. That is our number here in Spokane Washington.

The article mentions relief programs available as we deal with losses incurred. This Internal Revenue Service announcement explains all of it. These also affect businesses located in the area, or that serve the disaster areas. In the announcement, there are links to declarations, affected areas, forms, and booklets to explain how to complete forms. It is all typical “LEGALEEZE” and utterly fun to read. NOT really!

FEMA 4759-DR

Federal Emergency Management Agency declaration. See the previous post to find out where to go locally to fill out your FEMA and SBA applications.

LOCATIONS

Current List of Disaster Relief Locations

The first link is the same declaration link as mentioned above. The second link takes you to a similar announcement page that has been slightly reworded, and it outlines similar information about the changed due dates.

CASUALTY LOSSES FORM 4684

In a federally declared disaster area, we have the option to claim disaster-related losses on our federal tax return. On our 2022 return, we have till October 15, 2024, to make this kind of claim.

“Publication 547, Casualties, Disasters, Theft” is the How-To direction book to fill out this form. It is a 31-page booklet in PDF format, and it is also available in Ebook format which will allow searching.

Form 4684 directions

OTHER RELIEF in IRS BREAK

IRS has decided to waive the usual fees that they charge for sending us copies of previous tax returns that burned up in the fire. Isn’t that special?

FORM 4506 – Request for a Copy of Tax Return
FORM 4506T – Request for Transcript of Tax Return

I will order as far back as possible (7 years at least). Then we have information if they decide to audit us later on.

FEMA and SBA

FEMA hours at CCOB FEMA & SBA are here, The Federal Emergency Management Association and Small Business Association have set up shop at the Country Church of the Open Bible in Elk WA this week. These are along with two other organizations including the mobile DSHS crew and an Insurance Commissioner representative from Olympia. I went in on Friday to register with whatever programs were available for our family. There are four places you can do the paperwork for disaster assistance right here in Elk. The only way you can guarantee that you will get NO assistance is to NOT APPLY. So, be sure to come on down and apply.

The hours add up to 50 hours a week shown above. Be sure to take advantage of this convenience. It will take less time than you would think and the people are very friendly and helpful.

Monday, Tuesday, & Friday: 8:30am-6:30pm (30 hrs)

Wednesday & Thursday: 8:30am-3:30pm (14 hrs)

Saturday: 9am-3pm (6 hrs)

FEMA

FEMA decides who can get grants that don’t have to be paid back. The application amounted to about 30 minutes of me listening to the lady filling out the form on her laptop across the table from me. I answered her questions the best that I could recollect. Things like how much damage, street address… Value of property lost and some description. Dependants, health, or medical supplies. How much insurance? Current living situation. Mailing address and sign a permission slip for them to get a copy of my taxes from the IRS to check our income. We set up email notices and I had a FEMA number to sign in. I asked to get paper copies mailed to me for our records.

SBA

SBA Fact Sheet 01 small SBA Fact Sheet 02 small SBA-The U.S. Small Business Administration was the second office I went to apply for assistance. If we qualify, we can get a loan with no interest in the first year and low interest after that. We are hoping to qualify to get enough funds to cover what our insurance company is not going to cover as we rebuild. You don’t have to be rebuilding, you can be relocating instead. They share information with FEMA and ask a few more questions. I thought they would only help with loans for my business and I was wrong. They also do loans for much more.

I have attached the fact sheets that they hand out so that you can read everything you need to know before you go in. (I got permission from them to share the form). You can download them here, “SBA FACT SHEET 01” & “SBA FACT SHEET 02”, to print your own.

DSHS Mobile Office

The same people that come to New Hope in Colbert, and the North County Food Pantry in Elk.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER

The Insurance Commissioner

She is willing to help you with the legalities of our insurance companies.

I left the church with hope in my heart again.

HB1899 Rebuild After Fire Helpful

HB1899 Rebuild After Fire – Helpful

Pete’s Bills is a short list of important bills that have been read and should be testified on in his opinion. If you are one of those who is happy to sit back on the couch and only complain after a law is in effect, this is probably not enjoyable reading for you. Continue reading “HB1899 Rebuild After Fire Helpful”

A Walk-Through Testifying

Into the Swamp

Let’s walk through testifying on your first bill taken from Pete’s Bills (01-17-2023) HB2119 Medical Debt Garnishment

Washington State Legislator Website … it is where the journey across the swamp begins. Unfortunately, it is where you can get lost and drown before you even start. It is better to skip over this welcoming home page. Because you virtually can not find “where to log in” from the home page. Go here instead.

COMMITTEE (CSI) SIGN-IN ACCOUNT PAGE

Unfortunately, you can only select one bill at a time at the end of this process. So, you have to go through this process for every bill you have read and want to testify on.

BEFORE LOGIN OR ACCOUNT CREATION

CSI before Sign In If you have not yet created an account, you will see a page that looks like this. No worries, you can easily fill out the form and make your account before you do anything else. Be sure to “Bookmark” that new CSI sign-in page after you have created your account, it will save you so much time.

CSI AFTER LOGGING IN

CSI after LogIn

HOUSE COMMITTEE SIGN-IN PAGE

The CSI Account Page magically transforms after you sign in. It becomes the House Committee Sign-In Page! This is where we select Which Committee is working on the bill that we want to comment on, and, what date, and finally the bill we want to testify on.
House, Senate, Joint, or Agency. HINT: You can tell that this is a “House bill” because the House puts “HB” before the bill number.

House CSI

WHAT COMMITTEE?

At first, you only see one drop-down box on this page. Choose the committee first by clicking on the drop-down arrow and highlighting “Civil Rights & Judiciary” from the list that appears below.

House CSI Select Date

WHAT DATE?

Right away, you will see another pop-up appear on the right, asking you to choose What Date from the committee schedule. Select, “January 17, 2024”.

House CSI Select Agenda Item WHAT ITEM?

Magically, a list appears below entitled, “Select Agenda Items“. It is a list showing all the bills for that date with selection buttons on the left. Click to pick which ONE you want. Then “Select the type of testimony” by clicking on whatever types are still there for us to use below.

The possible types are “In-person” during the hearing, “Remotely”, “Position Noted for the Legislated Record (Vote-Only)”, or “Written Testimony”. They stop taking testimony for each bill at different times depending on where it is in their process.

Before session
In Session
Out of Session

It is extremely hard to keep track of where the bills travel. If we are too late the list gets shorter and even disappears for submitting testimony. Be patient with yourself, it takes time to travel and learn the paths in this swamp.

This warning should be shown on all the Legislative website pages at the top of their pages.

Warning! Access is COUNTER-INTUITIVE Proceed at your own risk!

Coming soon, You can refer to this other post that teaches you “How to make a CSI account” for yourself. The check is in the mail.

2023.01.17 Pete’s Bills

Pete’s Bills is a short list of important bills that have been read and should be testified on in his opinion.If you are one of those who is happy to sit back on the couch and only complain after a law is in effect, this is probably not enjoyable reading for you. Continue reading “2023.01.17 Pete’s Bills”

Unconstitutional Propane & Natural Gas

Unconstitutional

Propane & Natural Gas Restrictions

Did you know that unconstitutional bills, trying to limit the use of gas or propane for heat, cooking, or driving are being mandated by Jaydolf Insleeeeeee…

This blog is set up to represent citizens here in Elk WA. We have been tracking the Bills that are being mandated by Jaydolf over in Seattle. “The Green Machine” measures are being shoved down our throats with absolutely no constituent voting being allowed.

We the People, who are residing in rural areas of Washington state see the true insanity in these measures. We consistently experience long-term and frequent electrical outages in some of the coldest locations. A Seattle dictator is attempting to take away the cleanest and most efficient source of heating, and cooking for us. It is just totally ridiculous. Heat pumps are expensive and ineffective in extreme cold (temperatures under 34 degrees), and they require more electricity from an already overtaxed grid.

EDUCATE YOURSELF

Below are links to help educate yourself about current issues that we need to know about and protest so we stand and be able to protect ourselves. Continual politician’s foley and lack of consideration is something that needs to stop, and, the only way we can do that is to band together and protest the crazy laws they are trying to enact.

Sitting on your couch at home is just not going to help at all.

Here are links that state the

‘revised effective date for 2021 codes is March 15, 2024’:

Building Industry Association of Washington

https://www.biaw.com/natural-gas-restrictions/

Washington State Building Code Council SBCC@des.wa.gov

https://sbcc.wa.gov/news/revised-effective-date-2021-codes-march-15-2024

This Oct 31, 2023 link states that

“public comment is being accepted through Nov 22 on the new building code language…the state Building Code Council is expected to vote Nov 28 on whether to adopt the new policies.”:

AXIOS (Liberal) Newsletter in Seattle

The challenge in mandating electric heating in Washington state…

https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/10/31/heat-pump-rule-requirement-gas-electric

Clean Energy Transition Institute

In colder parts of the state like eastern Washington, the recent building code updates allow new home builders to install backup systems that run on natural gas to provide heating in the absolute coldest temperatures when a heat pump is no longer as efficient.

This Nov 22, 2022 article, section ‘Federal Funding helps with Heat Pump Adoption’ has a paragraph about HEEHRA rebates, 25C tax credits, etc:

https://www.cleanenergytransition.org/post/washington-passes-nation-leading-residential-energy-codes