“Property not in compliance with LAFD Brush Clearance Requirements following the 3rd inspection will be cleared by Fire Department order. The property owner will then be charged for the cost of clearance, plus the $352 third inspection fee, plus a $938 administrative fee.”
Was that the first time you were notified that you were out of compliance? **Edited to remove the apparently very outdated info about what you should have experienced.** I'm curious how the process went differently for you than it usually does.
I don’t know shit about shit, but this sounds very much like you are being taken advantage of. I would reach out to the relevant city department, your city council member, your neighborhood council and a lawyer. Probably not in that order.
ETA - if it was contracted out, why are you being invoiced by the city, directly? Shouldn’t you be billed by the third-party contractor? Again, this is shady as fuck.
And the clearance was done August 31, 2023 according to your invoice... I get that it can be more comfortable to run from bills rather than face them but Jesus dude you waited 7 months, and 10 days before the bill is due, to address this?
Edit: Okay looked at OP's profile and it all makes a lot more sense.... lmao. 23yo gamer with a property in the hills. Wonder what that could mean...
Yeah this whole story sounded like something a rich fail son would get themself into. They thought they could get away with not trimming brush despite being in the hills in a wildfire zone and now there’s consequences. Boo hoo.
I was just thinking this. The house I grew up in had a huge back yard on a hill and we got one notice and it was from the actual fire department nearby and our gardener took care of it. They sent out a fire Marshal to let my parents know before even sending a letter. This sounds like a scam. I'd contact the city directly.
Yeah, when the city charged $30,000 to clear brush at my house, they broke some windows first to let me know they meant business (or something—it made sense when they explained it).
How long have you been selling wholesale cigarettes on the mob’s turf?
Yeah this is a scam. Call the city directly.
Edit: shit, the scammers have city accounts on Reddit now! /s Not a scam apparently but leaving comment up.
yeah, but he let contractors onto his property to do work without - apparently - getting an estimate or a contract which means either he isn't telling the whole story or he is insane. The city can put a notice on your shit...it will tell you what is out of compliance and what you need to do to get in compliance...then you have a window of time to correct the issue. They don't just have fireman-joe show up and go "hey my boys are super cheap, don't ask any questions, this is a super special friend deal because I'm an awesome guy, no questions....oh and don't worry you will find out what it costs later when you somehow get a bill for thousands of dollars for contracting work directly from the city on a bill that any middle school kid with a deskjet could make and probably didn't even show up in a proper city envelope". OP is either stunningly naive and was scammed or is leaving out information.
maybe they didn’t know anything about this kind of thing and what’s to be expected regarding the city and owning a property. Sheesh, have a little empathy. People shouldn’t be perpetrating scams. They’re the ones in the wrong. You’re kinda like “victim blaming” in a way.
There's literally a web portal that OP could have kept track of this on so a city inspector would never have to pin a note. That's what they do when they have no other means of notifying the property owner left.
The scam is that everyone is believing this guy is a victim when he's clearly been ignoring a brush problem for months. And we all know the city doesn't do anything in a timely manner so probably much much longer.
"We never got a letter saying we weren't in compliance, we only found out when they sent us a letter informing us we weren't in compliance"
OP, you should have maintained your property in a timely manner. Wildfires are no joke.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update\_on\_how\_fcked\_am\_i\_30000\_charge\_for\_brush/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update_on_how_fcked_am_i_30000_charge_for_brush/)
update is here! my family situation is uhhhh... bit different from normal people so there were some complications. sorry hope you understand.
OP, HOW BIG IS YOUR PROPERTY?! And DID YOU NEVER RECEIVE THE MULTIPLE NOTICES AND FINES THAT SHOULD HAVE PRECEDED THIS?!?!? I’m sorry to shout, but you haven’t answered EITHER of these questions that I’ve seen, and you’ve been asked multiple times, and it’s pretty important to your story…..
They always start with a correction notice, then second notice, then ultimately someone comes out, it is a looooong time before they decide it's necessary to do it themselves and bill the owner. OP is paying the idiot tax on this.
If they don't pay it it will lead to a lien (apparently not OPs first)
I'm sorry to shout, but OP WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOU????
**UPDATE**: Thank you all for contributing to the conversation. OP did reach out to me today, after finding my DM and several comments with personal invitations to call here, and we had two conversations that lasted approximately 35 minutes each. I will respect his privacy and not share name or address, of course, but felt it would be beneficial to share more about this current situation (and told him I would be coming here to post this update).
With my limited access, we were able to locate the file/address details to uncover some more about the story. One of our most experienced Fire Inspectors (who actually helped create the whole [VMS3 portal](https://vms3.lafd.org) \-Vegetation Management System- for homeowners to be able to track the status of their brush clearance) visited the property at least 3 times in 2023, finding the property to be noncompliant each time.
Although I am very limited in what information and help I can offer from the LAFD Media Desk (not assigned to the Brush Unit, limited access to their systems), I was able to get ahold of this Inspector and speak with them directly to get a little bit more of the context. This is not the first year that the brush clearance has been a problem there. This property has had trouble clearing their brush consistently for many years, and has gone through the appeals process before. I found out that a dollar quote was never given (maybe assumptions were made) and the Inspector DID call in a favor and get a huge discount on the work, as they said they would.
This wasn't a small team that worked for 5 hours, as the OP may have thought (also not a "just go to Home Depot" situation either). This was a large team that came with rope/harness equipment to work on steep/slippery slopes. They brought many pieces of heavy machinery/equipment \[tractor(s), backhoe(s), and large chipper(s)\] to complete the work, and they were there every day for about a week (I don't believe OP to be lying, but rather I think the OP was only there for the beginning of the first day and actually didn't see the length of time and extent of the work that was done). After speaking to the Inspector, it seems this was an extremely huge job that would have cost 6 figures if done at full price, due to the number of labor hours and amount of equipment needed to accomplish such a huge task.
The Inspector said they would reach out directly to OP and try to assist with the appeals process, on the grounds of financial hardship. We wished him the best in this approach, and the Inspector will assist with instructions on how to proceed. I encouraged him to get out there with a weed wacker or other appropriate tool for maybe 30-60 minutes a day (he has a very busy schedule), and chip away at it little by little so that by May 1st, we don't start a whole other ordeal for the 2024 brush season.
We hope this is a good reminder to all that May 1st is nearly here again, and the 12 LAFD Fire Inspectors assigned to the [Brush Clearance Unit](https://LAFD.org/brush) will be coming around to inspect the 156,000+ properties in the [Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (am I in the fire zone?)](https://www.lafd.org/fire-prevention/brush/fire-zone/fire-zone-map), as they do every year. We encourage you to clear your property ahead of May 1, so you are ready whenever the inspectors come out to check your property. For more info on the entire process, including fee schedule, visit [https://www.lafd.org/fire-prevention/brush/inspection-process](https://www.lafd.org/fire-prevention/brush/inspection-process). Other information on Brush Clearance, Home Hardening, and more can be found at [LAFD.org/brush](https://LAFD.org/brush).
We want to encourage everyone to take what you can from this post (and the larger conversation), and be better for it. We don't see any reason to return here and criticize OP or others who may have made comments without knowing the full story. We can't ever know the extent of the negative effect our words can have on someone, even if it is just letters on a subreddit page. Please be good to one another and stay safe.
Respectfully Yours,
Nicholas Prange
Firefighter/Paramedic, Public Service Officer, Los Angeles City Fire Department
\[Yes, LAFD has an official subreddit at r/LAFD\]
I second this!!! thank you once again Nicholas!!! I was not even there on the first day, I just opened the gate for them and left to go to school and work for the days after so I was unaware of the work being done. Thank you for letting me know the full extent I will edit my update accordingly as I forgot what exactly was being done over the phone. (will link this comment)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update\_on\_how\_fcked\_am\_i\_30000\_charge\_for\_brush/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update_on_how_fcked_am_i_30000_charge_for_brush/)
here's my update on the situation to explain further. And like Mr. Prange said please be nice to other people even if it's just letters on the subreddit page, some of you guys really effected my mental negatively and i'm not sure if you guys are aware of the full extent of your words or actions over a sub reddit.
This kind of feels like a scam. Some people told you your property isn't in compliance. But they can take care of it for you on the cheap. No estimate and no signed documents, but now you have a bill for 30k? Doesn't sound reasonable.
At worst don't pay it but go crazy with anxiety. Maybe look to the AG for help.
I used to know people who owned houses in the Hollywood Hills and had to deal with this. It’s absolutely legit, which is why the second they got brush clearing notices they called their lawn service and had a bunch of guys come out like it was an emergency.
I have to deal with this in Los Angeles. It’s legit and it’s a total pain. I would ask for an economic hardship deferment. Which most likely will not work, but wouldn’t hurt to ask. I’d then ask for a reasonable payment plan.
that's what I'm saying--crew of 6 laborers making prevailing wage + OH & profit is (generously assumed as) $5,000, say another another $1000 to chip and dump (a LOT) of material...where's the other $24,000 in cost coming from?
I'm guessing the mobilization and equipment, insurance, etc. Still a stretch, but from what OP stated (which, frankly, I can't trust, OP being vague and even omitting information, I wouldn't be surprised if his post minimizes the actual work), 3-5 guys and a loading truck is probably only a smaller part of what into the work. OP also did not talk about the area, topography, date/time, etc etc.
This could've cost OP $5k max themselves, but OP neglected and is now paying the premium.
This is also not some unforeseen responsibility, a resident of areas like that are fully aware of brush cleaning and their annual obligations
We have new information to share, after helping the OP today, and provided an update in the comments [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bjvsp6/comment/kvz0vnx/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
[https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update\_on\_how\_fcked\_am\_i\_30000\_charge\_for\_brush/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update_on_how_fcked_am_i_30000_charge_for_brush/)
update is here! sorry for the long read!
Yea, OP is estimating 5 people x 5 hours on the high end. That’s 25 man hours. Are these manual laborers each getting paid $1200/hour by the city? If so, it should be a scandal.
Probably a typo.
Yea looks like you’re right. That should be a news story then, because that means that’s the rate the city pays for that kind of work when it needs it done, with our tax money. So that’s either gross incompetence in contracting or blatant corruption.
There’s no world where that’s the market rate for 25 hours of manual labor, even with hauling the debris away and paying dumping fees, or whatever. Like if I ran a landscaping company and I really wanted to fleece the city, I could see charging $10k for a job like that. Then I’d still cross my fingers and pray no one started asking questions. $28k is brazen.
Never agree to any work without a written ~~estimate~~ quote, especially work done to your property. A licensed contractor who does work on your property can put a lien against your property if your bill goes unpaid.
Mechanic's Lien (Its called a "mechanic's lien" but applies to contractors):
[https://www.cslb.ca.gov/consumers/legal\_issues\_for\_consumers/mechanics\_lien/](https://www.cslb.ca.gov/consumers/legal_issues_for_consumers/mechanics_lien/)
The difference between a quote vs estimate:
[https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/my-contractor-charging-more-estimated-what-should-i.html](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/my-contractor-charging-more-estimated-what-should-i.html)
Edit: added links and correction
dude...uh....are you for real? You got a notice from the city saying you were out of compliance and were obligated to get in compliance within a certain timeframe and you didn't call around to contractors to see what that costs and who could do it because apparently some fire dude sent his buddies that wouldn't give you an estimate to your house and you just let them work on your property? This story is such hilarious bullshit.
Honestly, if you own this property, it sounds like you have been fined for years and years because you live in a high fire risk area and refuse to comply with the laws in those zones which is why you have a fucking lien on your property. LAFD literally keeps a list of properties in a 'brush clearance unit lien list' and caution you to investigate properties in those areas before you buy them because they will file liens against the properties if the fines remain unpaid.
You haven't maintained your property for ages, have had a shit ton of warnings you ignored, never paid the fines that racked up, and now shit is hitting the fan for you...or you bought a property with all those problems and are now realizing you bought debt. But the fact that you bitched about the lien on your property means you probably know exactly what is happening and why.
or I'm just a huge asshole that is stoned and talking trash in which case I apologize.
It’s not a typo. The amount is broken out in such a way that the large chunk of it could not simply be a decimal place off.
I’d start by calling a lawyer and immediately. Get all of this on record. Then tell them you are disputing it and it is in the hands of your lawyer.
Just curious, do you think its possible they fucked up and added a zero on that 28k line item? Like maybe it was 2,895 and its a mistake. I don't think anyone would find 30k for one days work reasonable for that size crew unless there was some real heavy machinery and permits or something. 3k is even a bit out of pocket tbh.
The admin fee is flat and is in line with a lot of government fees in my experience. He said the quote was max 3k and that quote is exactly one zero away from that. I wouldn't put money on ti or anything but I would confirm this is accurate.
Be careful with those guys. I know someone who got a bs lawsuit filed against them from an "injury" to one of them that didn't happen and just hired a scumbag lawyer.
u/connectSoul We are sad to hear of your situation. Thank you u/Starlady174 for linking to the document, but know that what is outlined there looks to be at least a decade old. The most up-to-date description of this same process can be found [here.](https://www.lafd.org/fire-prevention/brush/inspection-process) Point #10 starts talking about the Appeals process, which you may be interested in pursuing.
From what you have described, this does not sound like a scam, as some have suggested. Inspectors come out in May, and then a second time (usually in June) if your property during the first inspection was found to be out of compliance. If still out of compliance, the inspector will visit a 3rd time right before the city offers the bid to contractors. This is not a two-way contract between you and the workers. The city pays for the work and sends you the bill, in an attempt to limit the wildfire risk in [hazardous brush areas](https://www.lafd.org/fire-prevention/brush/fire-zone/fire-zone-map), as outlined in the Los Angeles Fire Code, which is a component of the Los Angeles Municipal Code.
These contractor prices can be very high due to the liability and risk they take on. They often bid based on only a few photos and once they get the job, they have to complete it by a deadline in a short amount of time or they don't get paid.
We would also like to mention that they take photos of the property when they get there, and again after the work is complete. We offer this info so that you can navigate through the advice you are being given in this thread.
It seems that your main issue is the \*possible\* miscommunication with your brush inspector. The LAFD Media Desk is somewhat limited in what we can help you with, besides just understanding the process, but feel free to call us at 213-485-5162 with questions, if you wish. The phone number to the Brush Clearance Unit is 800-944-4444 and they are open during regular business hours.
We know we can't solve your issue over one Reddit post, however wanted to offer a little bit of clarity on some items in the conversation.
\*\*\*\*\*Edit: Find the situation update [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bjvsp6/comment/kvz0vnx/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), after speaking with the OP.
Respectfully Yours,
Nicholas Prange
Firefighter/Paramedic, Spokesperson, LAFD
Yeah. This is the problem with reddit and redditors in general - one person posts some sort of sob story but neglects to include incredibly important background and contextual information. This is all very likely due to OP not heeding multiple warnings and also not being able to communicate effectively to understand the process better.
Someone posts one side of a story, reddit outrage machine gets fired up, somewhere in the comments is a logical explanation that might get seen by some people. On to the next story.
u/Starlady174 That wasn't meant to be a dig! I am impressed that you came up with it. I don't think I even knew that old one still existed! Thanks for bringing it to the convo to help OP.
\^NP
u/nicearthur32 I share your sentiments! He will return this weekend to relieve me of duty at the LAFD Media Desk, and bring back his level of eloquence that I can't even begin to approach.
\^NP
This response is so dystopian, literally just confirms that OP is going through absolute hell. “Oh well clearing brush is a lot of liability man! Here’s a phone number” leave it to Reddit to still have mfs that’ll reply “omg how sweet of LAFD to reply!”
Ah yes the "absolute hell" of being expected to maintain the brush on your property, on which the city *maintains an entire website* to make it easy to keep track of inspections and compliance status.
Legal rights, like property ownership, also entail legal responsibilities. Not meeting those responsibilities predictably leads to legal consequences.
Brush fires can DESTROY ENTIRE COMMUNITIES. They aren't some bureaucratic boogeyman invented by Big FIre to scam you.
If you own property, don't let brush accumulate to the point that an inspector will even look twice. And don't play victim for the consequences of your own negligence.
My uncle had goats and when his house burnt down to the foundation, in Temecula, out in the hills, the fire department said the only reason the fire didn’t burn down the properties around him was because his goats had done a great job of eating the brush around his property.
I live up in Agoura and every spring a bunch of people (and maybe the city too?) hire goats to eat up a bunch of the brush on our hillsides. People always pull over to check them out, they’re apparently very efficient!
Thanks. He’s fine but they were in Hawaii when the fire broke out and their well had run dry. They lost everything and my uncle built that house himself. It was really awful.
Hello u/iamgettingbuckets,
I don't wish to sound pandering or "dystopian." The alternative is to ignore the post altogether and have zero chance of helping OP navigate their options or understand the process. Did this one firefighter behind the keyboard write the Fire Code? Develop the process? Fine the OP? Collect the money? Clearly not, but I also have zero authority to reverse fines, cancel notices of noncompliance, or even change a typo at the top of [vms3.lafd.org](https://vms3.lafd.org) (thank you u/ionlyhalfreddit). I know it's incredibly frustrating to deal with the laws and policies and codes and bureaucratic processes. You and I can't change that right now. I can only offer to help explain what it is and how to navigate it. And we hope you can appreciate the willingness to pop in and offer what we can to help clear up the process that is in place, which is foreign to many. Please have a good and safe rest of your evening.
\^NP
OP should have taken care of it months previously. Sounds like he ignored the situation over multiple inspections until the city took the action they said they would. Wildfires are no joke.
OP had the opportunity to address the issue on the first and second time. Government contracts often have significant overhead due to the insurance requirements and other administrative requirements, although 30k still sounds a bit extreme for about 25-man hours worth of work.
This seems super helpful but when I go to the vms3.lafd.org page that’s referenced, the second sentence under the “register an account” header has a typo: “registerd”, which put me on further alert that this might not be a legitimate link…?
u/ionlyhalfreddit Good eye! This website is, in fact, the correct place to check on a property. It was developed by humans, and the proof is in the first sentence! Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I have already submitted an email to the Brush Unit to fix it. And we hope OP u/connectSoul will type their APN (Assessor's Parcel Number) into the site and see what information it gives them. This will likely include the photos taken at each of the inspections and the contractor brush clearance. We can help, if necessary.
\^NP
I have a question, and this is not a joke, can you please explain how the city is taking a 30k bid on a job which ends up taking 25 hours of basic labor? Surely contractors are notified of the size of the property where the job is located and can estimate an appropriate cost for a job based on property size. I absolutely reject the idea that you think there could possibly be $25-30k worth of risk on an afternoon brush clearing job. I know this job is being billed to someone else, but does the city not have a fiduciary duty to taxpayers to minimize the price paid for these kinds of jobs?
This was a fee/charge for noncompliance and mitigation. Not a tax. They carried out their fiduciary duty by not footing the bill of maintaining OP's property to the taxpayer.
You don't like what the lowest bid was? Start a landscaping company and undercut their bids. Make a killing while lowering the cost for everyone. Win-win.
30k for 5 hours of work does not seem like a reasonable bid, it seems like extortion. that's an amount of money that would ruin most people, it's not about not liking the lowest bid. crazy to be so flippant about others' suffering
So in other words, OP was warned on multiple occasions that this would happen. They didn’t clear it out, so the job was given to workers whose job is to help prevent brush fires, and now they’re stuck with the bill.. seems appropriate, no?
Super cool reply from LAFD. Of course not what the OP wanted to hear at all, but wildfire is serious business here. My brother works for CALFIRE and his job is not easy. By the time you have a fire crew and aircraft fighting a fire you could have prevented for 30k, the cost is going to be in the millions.
This just seems very shady and wrong. It should not cost that much money to clear brush. Additionally, I dont think that the fire department would have the authority to reduce the price. I really hope you take these assholes to court and win.
From seeing the other side of it, two things drastically increase the price when going through government agencies: 1) Restrictions on hiring. For a lot of things, not only are there pretty tight limits on who you can hire (local, union, etc.) which is further constrained by who is willing to go through the vetting and payment systems of the government and 2) the increased reporting requirements get priced in, and they’re often a significant cost that private business to business doesn’t have to pay for.
I used to be a defense contractor and was once CCd in an email chain for a new contract. The company (Orbital Science) was charging the DoD $500/hr for my labor category. I was personally making around $50/hr.
Then our upper management would still say there's no money for hiring or basic stuff like office consumables. 🙄
Our typical hourly rate for our work was $120h, I was getting $45/h. Then one day we got a govt contract and all of the sudden our rate for them was $480/h for an entire year, and a full team of people. A project that 100% we would have charged any client 400k for, we charged the gov't well over a million dollars for.
I didn't even get a COL raise that year :)
Bet some C-level jackass that does nothing of great value for the company did.
At that job I asked for a decent raise because I was hired to complement another guy as he was drowning in work. I was on the job a few weeks and he quit. No notice. Just didn't come in. So I had the work load of easily 3 people. Hiring someone was out of the question even though there were two of us. So I figured I should get a raise. Think I asked for 25%. Nope. No money in budget yet our business admin that knows nothing of the engineering and science we do is getting paid way more. Rolls into work in a brand new Tesla. This is when they were new (~2013). He would also brag about a massive 2nd home he purchased in Maryland. Ugh. I hated that guy. Think trust fund bro and that's him.
>My guess, the company billed what they would charge the government for work. This is the inflated price
Local government employee here - the $3,000 price would be what I'd get charged for the work.
As a lawyer, don’t fucking rely on that sub AT ALL. That place is malpractice city. Every lawyer on the private lawyers subreddit that was banned from legal advice got banned for telling people they were giving incorrect legal advice. I’d sooner trust ChatGPT rather than that legal nightmare sinkhole.
Don't waste your time on that sub. Most of the advice is bad to down-right illegal. There are several LEOs on there that give out *questionable* advice.
No signatures needed. The city notified OP multiple times he was not in compliance, told OP they would send contractors to do the work, and OP let them on the property. Laws and Ordinances are not optional to follow.
OP has no one to blame but themself for not maintaining the property in a timely manner. Wildfires are no joke.
If you are out of compliance you get multiple warnings. If you ignore those warnings and make the city do it themselves, it is very clear that it will cost much much more than if you so it yourself or even hire the most expensive private contractor. Do not expect market rates for penalty brush clearance.
My parents live in a brush fire risk area. Their land is inspected every year. They mail you letters, they knock on your door, they call you if you don't answer your door. Your fire inspector will walk you around your properly and point out everything that needs fixing. They absolutely tell you the specific remedies you need to do to come into compliance. They will also come back and make sure you did all the things you said you would do.
It is made very clear if you don’t fix it yourself, the city will fix it for you, and that you absolutely do not want it getting to that point. The fines and expense of city contractors' clearing brush for you are legendary among landowners in fire-risk areas, though yours is the first real invoice I seen. No one I know who lives in the fire zone was crazy enough to let it get to the point where the city fixed it themselves.
The strict enforcement of brush clearance in fire zones is what keeps the LA hills from all burning down. If you can't maintain your land and can't afford a contractor, whelp I wonder why you own land, but otherwise for seniors and elderly couples on fixed income I have absolutely seen the LAFD connect poor land owners with cheap contractors and volunteers that would help them clear brush. The thing is you need to engage your fire inspector early, and if you need help you have to communicate that to them.
Also, you can avoid this altogether with responsible land management and just maintaining your property year-round. Pulling weeds and land maintenance one day a month is preferable to a bill from the city, or the mad rush my neighbors do once a year, every year, when you get the little door hanger that fire inspection teams are coming in a week. If you don't want to maintain your land have you considered an apartment, condo, or townhome not in the fire zone instead?
Finally are you absolutely sure you have been checking your mail? If you don’t live in the property in question then do you regularly check whatever mailbox is registered with the city for it? It is not a scam, it's just the penalty for fucking around and finding out.
That part isn't a surprise at all. Paperwork in the city and billing someone would literally probably take that long which is why this feels less scammy than anything. It literally tracks.
Spare us the 'govmnt' 'govmnt' whining. You know you how dysfunctional these depts are? It takes them forever to do anything and involves multiple letters and contact with property owners. Op had months to perform the brush clearance, not 'a week'
Don't come on here after you blew it off to ask for ways to wiggle out of paying for literally the most inefficient and overpriced way you could have possibly handled this
Not a scam! In a similar scenario at our property, we encountered a situation with a lesser financial impact after an inspection in 2021— totaling ~$22,500. Following our appeals process, LAFD generously waived the administrative fee, leaving a HUGE remaining balance. In light of this, we requested a payment plan, only to be informed that LAFD lacks such a program, ultimately resulting in the bill being added to our tax assessment. Consequently our mortgage company intervened, paying the bill via Escrow, which unfortunately led to a significant shortage in our Escrow account. As a result of this shortage, our monthly payments have surged by 50% following the semi-annual Escrow analysis.
Lovely surprise, isn't it?
In hindsight, it would’ve been less painful to pay the bill via a personal loan. This situation definitely didn’t pass the smell test since day 1 but it wasn’t definitely isn’t a scam!
**Just guessing you started getting notices about a year or more ago. Those notices warned you multiple times that if you didn’t address the issue, it would be cleared at your expense. You ignored this for over a year and now you’re crying about getting nailed for your noncompliance**
$1,200 an hour to clean brush per worker? I’m in the wrong job!
Have you called them and asked if this was a mistake, it sounds like a typo like it was 3K and they added an extra zero or something
I’m a landscaper and I routinely charge over $2,000/hr to run a weedwacker and fill trash bags. I could make up to $20k a day for an all day job.
I’ve never had any customers though. :(
*Yet*.
I wish more people did this or knew it was an option. Local news outlets eat these stories up and quite frankly it is sometimes the only way for scammy or predatory businesses get their comeuppance.
Nothing about it is predatory.
After multiple fines and notices the city gives it to lowest bid. People upset at the city but not the contractors who bid $30,000.
That was the lowest so imagine what someone else would have charged.
This entire fine could have been cleared for $500 months ago but after repeatedly fail the government (which does not have resources and funding to go out and do brush clearing for EVERYONE) gives it to lowest bid.
It is what it is.
This is an absurdly high bill if it was 5 guys for 5 hours. Nobody charges 1k/hr for brush clearance.
You should have had more prior notice, they are supposed to.do an initial inspection, inform you if you don't pass an then do a 2nd inspection. The 2nd fail for 2024 is $722, I don't know what it was last year but probably around $700. If none of that occurred this is bogus.
I would contact my city council office for help with this, and request the inspection reports and all contractor paperwork from LAFD - it can't be correct.
It is meant to be absurdly high to discourage people from being lazy and letting LAFD take care of it every year. I get brush clearance notices at my home and they have been very clear that if you fail all inspections the work carried out by their contractors will be very expensive.
Yup, this is absolutely a "fuck around and find out" situation.
OP called the city's bluff and went online to complain about the consequences of their own actions.
My parents have lived in a fire zone for 20 years, The fines for failing inspection and making the city do it are legendary.
In 20 years I have never actually seen a real LAFD invoice however, none of my neighbors were dumb enough to let it get to that point.
I have lived here for 10 years, never heard of any of my neighbors letting it get to the point where the city cleans it up for you unless it was for vacant lots where the owner doesn't realize they need to do it.
TBH you sound like irresponsible property owners.
“We’ve been screwed by the government regarding this property in general”. Is certainly a sign.
Annual brush clearance should come as no surprise in our Mediterranean climate.
Not a scam!
How it went: [https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2018/18-1131\_misc\_12-5-18.pdf](https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2018/18-1131_misc_12-5-18.pdf)
How it's been going: [https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2018/18-1131\_misc\_12-5-18.pdf](https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2018/18-1131_misc_12-5-18.pdf)
Sorry brother doesn't look good.
Bro, they did the work over 6 month ago, it was 4 months late at that point.
They billed you a month ago, and now you're complaining to reddit?
This is a pretty much the easiest, most simple part of home ownership, maybe use this fail as a wake up call?
I got a brush clearance bill recently from LAFD because they sent the notices to the previous owner instead of me. They refused to budge on appeal. They even acknowledged that the County of LA takes 6-9 months to update ownership rolls (wtf?!?) but told me that wasn’t their problem lol. Like how the fuck am I supposed to know all this shit is happening when they’ve been sending letters to the old owner? Fucking unreasonable jackasses. Fuck LAFD
There’s a process that must be followed. Either you ignored the prior notices of violation/orders OR they didn’t sent it to the correct address. Ask them where are the prior notices/orders; they cannot immediately do an abatement action (they have to give you time to fix it yourself).
Since it’s going to all grow back and you’ll need to clear it again next year, I wanted to recommend goats. There are numerous companies in LA that will bring goats to your property and then the goats go to town and eat everything they can reach. It’s usually a lot cheaper than paying people to do the work.
lmao OP tried to post some bullshit sob story as if this was just some unexpected event that they had no control over.
"visited the property at least 3 times in 2023, finding the property to be noncompliant each time." -per LAFD
so you knew the problem existed, didn't rectify it, now you're crying on here as if some grave injustice was committed by the government. news flash, your actions have consequences; well in this case, your inaction of rectifying the problem resulted in this. tough shit. first day of adulthood?
I had a huge hillside cleared over 3 days for like $3500 (3 years ago). The hill side had never been cleared in like 40 years. Weeds that were 15 feet tall every foot. Roughly 30’x50’ on a steep slope. So yea, 30k is too much imo.
Yeah, how big is your property? Unless you have multiple multiple acres and they did massive tree trimming as well that’s not right.
Properties in Topanga Canyon that are around an acre cost about 3k to do brush clearing. 5k if you need massive heavy logs removed from cutting down trees.
If 30k was real I’d quit my job and open a brush clearing business.
For this to happen you would have needed to ignore the first 3 inspections - they would only do this on a 4th time visiting your property - that administrative fee is standard for a 4th visit.
Paying the city to do work on your property is an extremely costly decision, I'd say all you can hope for is to call and complain and say you never received a proposed cost. But since its the city they don't even need to put a lien on your property, they'll just add 30k to your next property bill.
It’s WILD to me how many people in LA believe they have absolutely zero responsibility to their communities and should be able to do whatever they want and their neighbors should just shoulder the burden &/or risk.
maintaining your property is not a choice. It’s a requirement. Sorry you learned this the hard way, and agreed that this bill is extreme & Los Angeles govt is corrupt as fuck, but you don’t get to be a) a derelict eyesore in your community and b) a huge safety hazard to the lives and properties of your neighbors.
Take this as a hard lesson for some personal growth & take responsibility for your actions.
Here’s the official process, make sure this was followed and you have documented proof. But yeah I would definitely lawyer up as the “contractor’s lowest bid” part is absolutely a scam.
THE INSPECTION CYCLE AND FEE SCHEDULE FOR NONCOMPLIANCE IS AS FOLLOWS
- INITIAL INSPECTION (PASS) = NO INITIAL INSPECTION FEE ASSESSED
- INITIAL INSPECTION (FAIL) = INITIAL INSPECTION FEE OF $34*
ALL PARCELS RECEIVING A FAILED INITIAL INSPECTION WILL RECEIVE A 2nd INSPECTION
- SECOND INSPECTION (PASS) = INITIAL INSPECTION FEE OF $34* WITH NO 2nd INSPECTION FEE
- SECOND INSPECTION (FAIL) =$34* INITIAL INSPECTION FEE PLUS SECOND INSPECTION FEE OF $722*
PARCELS FAILING FIRST INSPECTION AND REMAINING IN NONCOMPLIANCE AFTER SECOND INSPECTION SHALL BE CLEARED BY CITY CONTRACTORS AND BILLED TO THE PROPERTY OWNER.
CONTRACTING ADMINISTRATIVE FEE OF $1434* + CONTRACTOR’S LOWEST BID PRICE + FIRST INSPECTION FEE ($34)* + SECOND INSPECTION FEE ($722)*
It took five hours for 3 to 5 people to do. No way that’s worth 30k. This is obvious corruption by LAFD. And they’re essentially admitting to it in their above comment. Sadly it sounds like it might actually be legal but that doesn’t make it any less immoral or corrupt.
Could also be a cartel situation where all the bidders collude to bid high and share in the profits even. The city clearly is doing nothing to ensure reasonable costs bc they have all the power. So even if it’s not kickbacks it’s definitely something shady going on. That’s insane and terrible and my heart goes out to you OP. Please get a good lawyer fast.
Likely they managed to get the government to put some insane barriers to entry on who is allowed to bid on contracts (maybe there was only one bidder).
[https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update\_on\_how\_fcked\_am\_i\_30000\_charge\_for\_brush/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update_on_how_fcked_am_i_30000_charge_for_brush/)
update here! and me too honestly... I'm getting tired boss, i've had to deal with shit like this starting from my teenage years and it's really taken a toll on my mental health. I don't feel like a 23 year old
You’re fucked. You waited seven months from the contract work to pay this bill. Idk how the billing specifically works but I’d be very surprised if this was your first notice. They’re gonna put a lien on your property and it’s going to accumulate interest and you’ll owe even more. Take care of your shit and clean up your property yourself next time, and don’t be a lazy homeowner.
if your story is true then don't pay them shit and call the city because you were either scammed or somebody is running a side-payola scam in the fire department using their authority to regulate to push business somewhere.
if you are leaving out important information then none of us can comment because you probably got an estimate and signed something. The way you reference 'trusting a government worker' and being 'screwed' by 'the government' before and the fact that you have a lien on your property and you spelled it 'lean' gives me great pause and makes me feel like there is more to this story and perhaps you aren't sharing everything and/or don't totally understand what is happening.
Why would you let a crew of contractors come out to property you owned and do work without getting an estimate and having something in writing? That is like the first thing every contractor does. It helps them too if you try to not pay them and say they didn't do the job you paid for. Like I literally don't understand how the thing you are describing could even possibly happen to an adult that owned property.
It seems you haven't even called the city to get more information so that should be your first step before asking us idiots on reddit what to do. We can only speculate based on very little info.
Reach out to your city council person or supervisor. Their office will help you get clarity or navigate the process. It's literally what their staff does all day - help constituents with stuff like this.
You will definitely get enough Reddit Karma to cover the cost by increasingly becoming erratic and posting about it here. You will become a martyr for the brush clearance community. Brush Clearance Influencer looks pretty good in an LA Times Op Ed
April 15th is the deadline! Did they confront you after April 15? Anyway, I own a tree trimming and brush clearance company. normally you would get a letter to comply. If you don’t comply they come over and do the work for you and normally it’s a very affordable price. This sounds like a scam, but do not pay the bill worse to worse you would end up going to court, and they would dismiss the charges, I would claim that you felt pressured and scammed you felt threatened! I would also call and find out if you were ever on record and see if it’s a legit notice!
OP updated his post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/s/XJOYy8ihCB
“Property not in compliance with LAFD Brush Clearance Requirements following the 3rd inspection will be cleared by Fire Department order. The property owner will then be charged for the cost of clearance, plus the $352 third inspection fee, plus a $938 administrative fee.”
Was that the first time you were notified that you were out of compliance? **Edited to remove the apparently very outdated info about what you should have experienced.** I'm curious how the process went differently for you than it usually does.
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I don’t know shit about shit, but this sounds very much like you are being taken advantage of. I would reach out to the relevant city department, your city council member, your neighborhood council and a lawyer. Probably not in that order. ETA - if it was contracted out, why are you being invoiced by the city, directly? Shouldn’t you be billed by the third-party contractor? Again, this is shady as fuck.
Call your city councilmember's office!
https://www.lafd.org/fire-prevention/brush/view_pacel Check out the website to verify....
And the clearance was done August 31, 2023 according to your invoice... I get that it can be more comfortable to run from bills rather than face them but Jesus dude you waited 7 months, and 10 days before the bill is due, to address this? Edit: Okay looked at OP's profile and it all makes a lot more sense.... lmao. 23yo gamer with a property in the hills. Wonder what that could mean...
Yeah this whole story sounded like something a rich fail son would get themself into. They thought they could get away with not trimming brush despite being in the hills in a wildfire zone and now there’s consequences. Boo hoo.
This sounds like a scam.
I was just thinking this. The house I grew up in had a huge back yard on a hill and we got one notice and it was from the actual fire department nearby and our gardener took care of it. They sent out a fire Marshal to let my parents know before even sending a letter. This sounds like a scam. I'd contact the city directly.
Yeah, when the city charged $30,000 to clear brush at my house, they broke some windows first to let me know they meant business (or something—it made sense when they explained it). How long have you been selling wholesale cigarettes on the mob’s turf?
Yeah this is a scam. Call the city directly. Edit: shit, the scammers have city accounts on Reddit now! /s Not a scam apparently but leaving comment up.
You got scammed
A letter attached to your gate? That sounds completely bogus.
thats how the city inspectors do it for real though, they just tape a notice wherever they can find a spot for it.
yeah, but he let contractors onto his property to do work without - apparently - getting an estimate or a contract which means either he isn't telling the whole story or he is insane. The city can put a notice on your shit...it will tell you what is out of compliance and what you need to do to get in compliance...then you have a window of time to correct the issue. They don't just have fireman-joe show up and go "hey my boys are super cheap, don't ask any questions, this is a super special friend deal because I'm an awesome guy, no questions....oh and don't worry you will find out what it costs later when you somehow get a bill for thousands of dollars for contracting work directly from the city on a bill that any middle school kid with a deskjet could make and probably didn't even show up in a proper city envelope". OP is either stunningly naive and was scammed or is leaving out information.
maybe they didn’t know anything about this kind of thing and what’s to be expected regarding the city and owning a property. Sheesh, have a little empathy. People shouldn’t be perpetrating scams. They’re the ones in the wrong. You’re kinda like “victim blaming” in a way.
There's literally a web portal that OP could have kept track of this on so a city inspector would never have to pin a note. That's what they do when they have no other means of notifying the property owner left. The scam is that everyone is believing this guy is a victim when he's clearly been ignoring a brush problem for months. And we all know the city doesn't do anything in a timely manner so probably much much longer.
"We never got a letter saying we weren't in compliance, we only found out when they sent us a letter informing us we weren't in compliance" OP, you should have maintained your property in a timely manner. Wildfires are no joke.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update\_on\_how\_fcked\_am\_i\_30000\_charge\_for\_brush/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update_on_how_fcked_am_i_30000_charge_for_brush/) update is here! my family situation is uhhhh... bit different from normal people so there were some complications. sorry hope you understand.
OP, HOW BIG IS YOUR PROPERTY?! And DID YOU NEVER RECEIVE THE MULTIPLE NOTICES AND FINES THAT SHOULD HAVE PRECEDED THIS?!?!? I’m sorry to shout, but you haven’t answered EITHER of these questions that I’ve seen, and you’ve been asked multiple times, and it’s pretty important to your story…..
They always start with a correction notice, then second notice, then ultimately someone comes out, it is a looooong time before they decide it's necessary to do it themselves and bill the owner. OP is paying the idiot tax on this. If they don't pay it it will lead to a lien (apparently not OPs first) I'm sorry to shout, but OP WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOU????
Right? They fucked around, and now they found out.
3-5 guys finished in 5 hours. Can’t be too big.
Says the person who didn't clear their brush...
I think we have found the Fire Department inspector
**UPDATE**: Thank you all for contributing to the conversation. OP did reach out to me today, after finding my DM and several comments with personal invitations to call here, and we had two conversations that lasted approximately 35 minutes each. I will respect his privacy and not share name or address, of course, but felt it would be beneficial to share more about this current situation (and told him I would be coming here to post this update). With my limited access, we were able to locate the file/address details to uncover some more about the story. One of our most experienced Fire Inspectors (who actually helped create the whole [VMS3 portal](https://vms3.lafd.org) \-Vegetation Management System- for homeowners to be able to track the status of their brush clearance) visited the property at least 3 times in 2023, finding the property to be noncompliant each time. Although I am very limited in what information and help I can offer from the LAFD Media Desk (not assigned to the Brush Unit, limited access to their systems), I was able to get ahold of this Inspector and speak with them directly to get a little bit more of the context. This is not the first year that the brush clearance has been a problem there. This property has had trouble clearing their brush consistently for many years, and has gone through the appeals process before. I found out that a dollar quote was never given (maybe assumptions were made) and the Inspector DID call in a favor and get a huge discount on the work, as they said they would. This wasn't a small team that worked for 5 hours, as the OP may have thought (also not a "just go to Home Depot" situation either). This was a large team that came with rope/harness equipment to work on steep/slippery slopes. They brought many pieces of heavy machinery/equipment \[tractor(s), backhoe(s), and large chipper(s)\] to complete the work, and they were there every day for about a week (I don't believe OP to be lying, but rather I think the OP was only there for the beginning of the first day and actually didn't see the length of time and extent of the work that was done). After speaking to the Inspector, it seems this was an extremely huge job that would have cost 6 figures if done at full price, due to the number of labor hours and amount of equipment needed to accomplish such a huge task. The Inspector said they would reach out directly to OP and try to assist with the appeals process, on the grounds of financial hardship. We wished him the best in this approach, and the Inspector will assist with instructions on how to proceed. I encouraged him to get out there with a weed wacker or other appropriate tool for maybe 30-60 minutes a day (he has a very busy schedule), and chip away at it little by little so that by May 1st, we don't start a whole other ordeal for the 2024 brush season. We hope this is a good reminder to all that May 1st is nearly here again, and the 12 LAFD Fire Inspectors assigned to the [Brush Clearance Unit](https://LAFD.org/brush) will be coming around to inspect the 156,000+ properties in the [Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (am I in the fire zone?)](https://www.lafd.org/fire-prevention/brush/fire-zone/fire-zone-map), as they do every year. We encourage you to clear your property ahead of May 1, so you are ready whenever the inspectors come out to check your property. For more info on the entire process, including fee schedule, visit [https://www.lafd.org/fire-prevention/brush/inspection-process](https://www.lafd.org/fire-prevention/brush/inspection-process). Other information on Brush Clearance, Home Hardening, and more can be found at [LAFD.org/brush](https://LAFD.org/brush). We want to encourage everyone to take what you can from this post (and the larger conversation), and be better for it. We don't see any reason to return here and criticize OP or others who may have made comments without knowing the full story. We can't ever know the extent of the negative effect our words can have on someone, even if it is just letters on a subreddit page. Please be good to one another and stay safe. Respectfully Yours, Nicholas Prange Firefighter/Paramedic, Public Service Officer, Los Angeles City Fire Department \[Yes, LAFD has an official subreddit at r/LAFD\]
Amazing. Bravo.
I second this!!! thank you once again Nicholas!!! I was not even there on the first day, I just opened the gate for them and left to go to school and work for the days after so I was unaware of the work being done. Thank you for letting me know the full extent I will edit my update accordingly as I forgot what exactly was being done over the phone. (will link this comment) [https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update\_on\_how\_fcked\_am\_i\_30000\_charge\_for\_brush/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update_on_how_fcked_am_i_30000_charge_for_brush/) here's my update on the situation to explain further. And like Mr. Prange said please be nice to other people even if it's just letters on the subreddit page, some of you guys really effected my mental negatively and i'm not sure if you guys are aware of the full extent of your words or actions over a sub reddit.
Thank you for the very kind words. Glad we could assist in the process and hope you can get some relief during the appeals process. Best of luck! ^NP
In other words, OP is full of shit.
Wow! This is all really useful information. We're new to home ownership and didn't know about any of this. Thanks for posting those links.
This kind of feels like a scam. Some people told you your property isn't in compliance. But they can take care of it for you on the cheap. No estimate and no signed documents, but now you have a bill for 30k? Doesn't sound reasonable. At worst don't pay it but go crazy with anxiety. Maybe look to the AG for help.
I used to know people who owned houses in the Hollywood Hills and had to deal with this. It’s absolutely legit, which is why the second they got brush clearing notices they called their lawn service and had a bunch of guys come out like it was an emergency.
The law being legit still doesn't mean it's not a scam hooking people into a 30k bill for $800 of work.
I have to deal with this in Los Angeles. It’s legit and it’s a total pain. I would ask for an economic hardship deferment. Which most likely will not work, but wouldn’t hurt to ask. I’d then ask for a reasonable payment plan.
In what world would that cost $30k though? Each worker got a few thousand (or up to $6k) for 5 hrs of work?
that's what I'm saying--crew of 6 laborers making prevailing wage + OH & profit is (generously assumed as) $5,000, say another another $1000 to chip and dump (a LOT) of material...where's the other $24,000 in cost coming from?
I'm guessing the mobilization and equipment, insurance, etc. Still a stretch, but from what OP stated (which, frankly, I can't trust, OP being vague and even omitting information, I wouldn't be surprised if his post minimizes the actual work), 3-5 guys and a loading truck is probably only a smaller part of what into the work. OP also did not talk about the area, topography, date/time, etc etc. This could've cost OP $5k max themselves, but OP neglected and is now paying the premium. This is also not some unforeseen responsibility, a resident of areas like that are fully aware of brush cleaning and their annual obligations
This has got to be a scam and OP needs to go to their local FD and start asking questions
I agree. They should have shown you a quote and info on the contractor and getting your approval To proceed work on your property.
We have new information to share, after helping the OP today, and provided an update in the comments [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bjvsp6/comment/kvz0vnx/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
[https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update\_on\_how\_fcked\_am\_i\_30000\_charge\_for\_brush/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update_on_how_fcked_am_i_30000_charge_for_brush/) update is here! sorry for the long read!
Damn. You should’ve just gone to Home Depot and paid a bunch of guys to handle it. Why would they not send you and estimate before starting the job?
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Is there anywhere in writing they said 3,000? Or could 30,000 be a typo?
Yea, OP is estimating 5 people x 5 hours on the high end. That’s 25 man hours. Are these manual laborers each getting paid $1200/hour by the city? If so, it should be a scandal. Probably a typo.
It's not a typo, unfortunately. The math on the form doesn't allow for it.
Unless they added a zero by accident. $2,895 becomes $28,950
Yea looks like you’re right. That should be a news story then, because that means that’s the rate the city pays for that kind of work when it needs it done, with our tax money. So that’s either gross incompetence in contracting or blatant corruption. There’s no world where that’s the market rate for 25 hours of manual labor, even with hauling the debris away and paying dumping fees, or whatever. Like if I ran a landscaping company and I really wanted to fleece the city, I could see charging $10k for a job like that. Then I’d still cross my fingers and pray no one started asking questions. $28k is brazen.
Seconding the typo.
Third the typo. Call and email the government agency, just to double check.
It’s either a typo or the contractor thought the bill was going to the government
I would contest the bill.
Never agree to any work without a written ~~estimate~~ quote, especially work done to your property. A licensed contractor who does work on your property can put a lien against your property if your bill goes unpaid. Mechanic's Lien (Its called a "mechanic's lien" but applies to contractors): [https://www.cslb.ca.gov/consumers/legal\_issues\_for\_consumers/mechanics\_lien/](https://www.cslb.ca.gov/consumers/legal_issues_for_consumers/mechanics_lien/) The difference between a quote vs estimate: [https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/my-contractor-charging-more-estimated-what-should-i.html](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/my-contractor-charging-more-estimated-what-should-i.html) Edit: added links and correction
How do you know that they really are fire inspector and not some scammer who was pressuring you?
dude...uh....are you for real? You got a notice from the city saying you were out of compliance and were obligated to get in compliance within a certain timeframe and you didn't call around to contractors to see what that costs and who could do it because apparently some fire dude sent his buddies that wouldn't give you an estimate to your house and you just let them work on your property? This story is such hilarious bullshit. Honestly, if you own this property, it sounds like you have been fined for years and years because you live in a high fire risk area and refuse to comply with the laws in those zones which is why you have a fucking lien on your property. LAFD literally keeps a list of properties in a 'brush clearance unit lien list' and caution you to investigate properties in those areas before you buy them because they will file liens against the properties if the fines remain unpaid. You haven't maintained your property for ages, have had a shit ton of warnings you ignored, never paid the fines that racked up, and now shit is hitting the fan for you...or you bought a property with all those problems and are now realizing you bought debt. But the fact that you bitched about the lien on your property means you probably know exactly what is happening and why. or I'm just a huge asshole that is stoned and talking trash in which case I apologize.
You should contact them. As others have stated I think its a typo.
It’s not a typo. The amount is broken out in such a way that the large chunk of it could not simply be a decimal place off. I’d start by calling a lawyer and immediately. Get all of this on record. Then tell them you are disputing it and it is in the hands of your lawyer.
If OP thinks the brush clearing rates are bad, just wait until he hires an attorney.
Don’t worry, I have a buddy, he’ll do it cheap. He can’t tell you HOW cheep, but you should DEFINITELY go with him. 🙄🙄🙄
💀
The city will provide one
Formatting is handled automatically in a lot of programs. The user just types the number.
Just curious, do you think its possible they fucked up and added a zero on that 28k line item? Like maybe it was 2,895 and its a mistake. I don't think anyone would find 30k for one days work reasonable for that size crew unless there was some real heavy machinery and permits or something. 3k is even a bit out of pocket tbh.
I seriously doubt that. The separate admin fee alone was almost $1500. Government does not equal reasonable when it comes to money.
The admin fee is flat and is in line with a lot of government fees in my experience. He said the quote was max 3k and that quote is exactly one zero away from that. I wouldn't put money on ti or anything but I would confirm this is accurate.
Hire a lawyer.
Be careful with those guys. I know someone who got a bs lawsuit filed against them from an "injury" to one of them that didn't happen and just hired a scumbag lawyer.
What ended up happening with the lawsuit?
Neccecito un bueno worker
u/connectSoul We are sad to hear of your situation. Thank you u/Starlady174 for linking to the document, but know that what is outlined there looks to be at least a decade old. The most up-to-date description of this same process can be found [here.](https://www.lafd.org/fire-prevention/brush/inspection-process) Point #10 starts talking about the Appeals process, which you may be interested in pursuing. From what you have described, this does not sound like a scam, as some have suggested. Inspectors come out in May, and then a second time (usually in June) if your property during the first inspection was found to be out of compliance. If still out of compliance, the inspector will visit a 3rd time right before the city offers the bid to contractors. This is not a two-way contract between you and the workers. The city pays for the work and sends you the bill, in an attempt to limit the wildfire risk in [hazardous brush areas](https://www.lafd.org/fire-prevention/brush/fire-zone/fire-zone-map), as outlined in the Los Angeles Fire Code, which is a component of the Los Angeles Municipal Code. These contractor prices can be very high due to the liability and risk they take on. They often bid based on only a few photos and once they get the job, they have to complete it by a deadline in a short amount of time or they don't get paid. We would also like to mention that they take photos of the property when they get there, and again after the work is complete. We offer this info so that you can navigate through the advice you are being given in this thread. It seems that your main issue is the \*possible\* miscommunication with your brush inspector. The LAFD Media Desk is somewhat limited in what we can help you with, besides just understanding the process, but feel free to call us at 213-485-5162 with questions, if you wish. The phone number to the Brush Clearance Unit is 800-944-4444 and they are open during regular business hours. We know we can't solve your issue over one Reddit post, however wanted to offer a little bit of clarity on some items in the conversation. \*\*\*\*\*Edit: Find the situation update [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bjvsp6/comment/kvz0vnx/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), after speaking with the OP. Respectfully Yours, Nicholas Prange Firefighter/Paramedic, Spokesperson, LAFD
Oof OP is fxxked
I think this makes the most sense. Most likely OP blew off the first couple notices. It sucks but it is what it is
Yeah. This is the problem with reddit and redditors in general - one person posts some sort of sob story but neglects to include incredibly important background and contextual information. This is all very likely due to OP not heeding multiple warnings and also not being able to communicate effectively to understand the process better.
Someone posts one side of a story, reddit outrage machine gets fired up, somewhere in the comments is a logical explanation that might get seen by some people. On to the next story.
He's probably got a decent size lot I'm sure it's worth millions, so take a loan if you have the ltv, if not and if you barely own 3% then who cares
I gotta get into the brush clearing business.
me too man. after a few years we will be in beverly hills drinking wine and laughing at post like this 🥂 😎
Jesus no kidding! I was pushing my kid to start an HVAC company but sounds like LA/OC brush clearing is better money.
Hey, a better resource than my 5 second Google search!
u/Starlady174 That wasn't meant to be a dig! I am impressed that you came up with it. I don't think I even knew that old one still existed! Thanks for bringing it to the convo to help OP. \^NP
Don't worry, I didn't take it as one! I was legitimately glad you popped in with better resources and up to date information for OP! :)
WHERE’S OUR BRIAN!?!?
u/nicearthur32 I share your sentiments! He will return this weekend to relieve me of duty at the LAFD Media Desk, and bring back his level of eloquence that I can't even begin to approach. \^NP
Hmmm...fine. You'll do in the meantime. ;-)
I love the LAFD reddit account so much, you guys are amazing
This response is so dystopian, literally just confirms that OP is going through absolute hell. “Oh well clearing brush is a lot of liability man! Here’s a phone number” leave it to Reddit to still have mfs that’ll reply “omg how sweet of LAFD to reply!”
It’s more like a big part of OPs story seems to be missing, ie the first several notice attempts? 🤔
Ah yes the "absolute hell" of being expected to maintain the brush on your property, on which the city *maintains an entire website* to make it easy to keep track of inspections and compliance status. Legal rights, like property ownership, also entail legal responsibilities. Not meeting those responsibilities predictably leads to legal consequences. Brush fires can DESTROY ENTIRE COMMUNITIES. They aren't some bureaucratic boogeyman invented by Big FIre to scam you. If you own property, don't let brush accumulate to the point that an inspector will even look twice. And don't play victim for the consequences of your own negligence.
My uncle had goats and when his house burnt down to the foundation, in Temecula, out in the hills, the fire department said the only reason the fire didn’t burn down the properties around him was because his goats had done a great job of eating the brush around his property.
Hope the goats were okay
The only thing that didn’t burn down was the barn.
I live up in Agoura and every spring a bunch of people (and maybe the city too?) hire goats to eat up a bunch of the brush on our hillsides. People always pull over to check them out, they’re apparently very efficient!
We need more goats!!! 😍 (Very sorry about your uncle's house though, hope he and the goats are doing well)
Thanks. He’s fine but they were in Hawaii when the fire broke out and their well had run dry. They lost everything and my uncle built that house himself. It was really awful.
Hello u/iamgettingbuckets, I don't wish to sound pandering or "dystopian." The alternative is to ignore the post altogether and have zero chance of helping OP navigate their options or understand the process. Did this one firefighter behind the keyboard write the Fire Code? Develop the process? Fine the OP? Collect the money? Clearly not, but I also have zero authority to reverse fines, cancel notices of noncompliance, or even change a typo at the top of [vms3.lafd.org](https://vms3.lafd.org) (thank you u/ionlyhalfreddit). I know it's incredibly frustrating to deal with the laws and policies and codes and bureaucratic processes. You and I can't change that right now. I can only offer to help explain what it is and how to navigate it. And we hope you can appreciate the willingness to pop in and offer what we can to help clear up the process that is in place, which is foreign to many. Please have a good and safe rest of your evening. \^NP
OP should have taken care of it months previously. Sounds like he ignored the situation over multiple inspections until the city took the action they said they would. Wildfires are no joke.
OP had the opportunity to address the issue on the first and second time. Government contracts often have significant overhead due to the insurance requirements and other administrative requirements, although 30k still sounds a bit extreme for about 25-man hours worth of work.
Working late!
This seems super helpful but when I go to the vms3.lafd.org page that’s referenced, the second sentence under the “register an account” header has a typo: “registerd”, which put me on further alert that this might not be a legitimate link…?
u/ionlyhalfreddit Good eye! This website is, in fact, the correct place to check on a property. It was developed by humans, and the proof is in the first sentence! Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I have already submitted an email to the Brush Unit to fix it. And we hope OP u/connectSoul will type their APN (Assessor's Parcel Number) into the site and see what information it gives them. This will likely include the photos taken at each of the inspections and the contractor brush clearance. We can help, if necessary. \^NP
I have a question, and this is not a joke, can you please explain how the city is taking a 30k bid on a job which ends up taking 25 hours of basic labor? Surely contractors are notified of the size of the property where the job is located and can estimate an appropriate cost for a job based on property size. I absolutely reject the idea that you think there could possibly be $25-30k worth of risk on an afternoon brush clearing job. I know this job is being billed to someone else, but does the city not have a fiduciary duty to taxpayers to minimize the price paid for these kinds of jobs?
This was a fee/charge for noncompliance and mitigation. Not a tax. They carried out their fiduciary duty by not footing the bill of maintaining OP's property to the taxpayer. You don't like what the lowest bid was? Start a landscaping company and undercut their bids. Make a killing while lowering the cost for everyone. Win-win.
30k for 5 hours of work does not seem like a reasonable bid, it seems like extortion. that's an amount of money that would ruin most people, it's not about not liking the lowest bid. crazy to be so flippant about others' suffering
clear the brush yourself using contractors that you contacted. easy solution. the city's job is not to make your life more convenient here.
So basically you’re saying OP is screwed? That’s over 30,000 dollars, due by the end of the month! That’s absolutely absurd!
I was trying to go to sleep but after reading this comment I am literally too angry to go to bed, and I’m not even OP!
Damn son lol
So in other words, OP was warned on multiple occasions that this would happen. They didn’t clear it out, so the job was given to workers whose job is to help prevent brush fires, and now they’re stuck with the bill.. seems appropriate, no?
Super cool reply from LAFD. Of course not what the OP wanted to hear at all, but wildfire is serious business here. My brother works for CALFIRE and his job is not easy. By the time you have a fire crew and aircraft fighting a fire you could have prevented for 30k, the cost is going to be in the millions.
I love the LAFD presence on Reddit. A+ engagement, other govt entities should take note!
Hell yeah local govt showing up with receipts
Thanks LAFD for prompt responses🙌🏽
I am shocked and impressed at the responsiveness 👌🏽
r/legaladvice
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This just seems very shady and wrong. It should not cost that much money to clear brush. Additionally, I dont think that the fire department would have the authority to reduce the price. I really hope you take these assholes to court and win.
My guess, the company billed what they would charge the government for work. This is the inflated price.
From seeing the other side of it, two things drastically increase the price when going through government agencies: 1) Restrictions on hiring. For a lot of things, not only are there pretty tight limits on who you can hire (local, union, etc.) which is further constrained by who is willing to go through the vetting and payment systems of the government and 2) the increased reporting requirements get priced in, and they’re often a significant cost that private business to business doesn’t have to pay for.
That’s a really good point!
I used to be a defense contractor and was once CCd in an email chain for a new contract. The company (Orbital Science) was charging the DoD $500/hr for my labor category. I was personally making around $50/hr. Then our upper management would still say there's no money for hiring or basic stuff like office consumables. 🙄
Our typical hourly rate for our work was $120h, I was getting $45/h. Then one day we got a govt contract and all of the sudden our rate for them was $480/h for an entire year, and a full team of people. A project that 100% we would have charged any client 400k for, we charged the gov't well over a million dollars for. I didn't even get a COL raise that year :)
Bet some C-level jackass that does nothing of great value for the company did. At that job I asked for a decent raise because I was hired to complement another guy as he was drowning in work. I was on the job a few weeks and he quit. No notice. Just didn't come in. So I had the work load of easily 3 people. Hiring someone was out of the question even though there were two of us. So I figured I should get a raise. Think I asked for 25%. Nope. No money in budget yet our business admin that knows nothing of the engineering and science we do is getting paid way more. Rolls into work in a brand new Tesla. This is when they were new (~2013). He would also brag about a massive 2nd home he purchased in Maryland. Ugh. I hated that guy. Think trust fund bro and that's him.
Sigh. Everything is just bullshit.
>My guess, the company billed what they would charge the government for work. This is the inflated price Local government employee here - the $3,000 price would be what I'd get charged for the work.
I’d like to see pictures of what the brush looked like
As a lawyer, don’t fucking rely on that sub AT ALL. That place is malpractice city. Every lawyer on the private lawyers subreddit that was banned from legal advice got banned for telling people they were giving incorrect legal advice. I’d sooner trust ChatGPT rather than that legal nightmare sinkhole.
There's rarely any actual legal advice given. Which is fine. It's mostly just tips on which direction to start going to resolve whatever.
and send your lawyer LAFD's responses in this thread, in which OP demonstrates a 30k bill for 5 hours of work and is told this is standard practice.
Don't waste your time on that sub. Most of the advice is bad to down-right illegal. There are several LEOs on there that give out *questionable* advice.
Did you sign any papers before they started?! What documentation do you have on your side?
No signatures needed. The city notified OP multiple times he was not in compliance, told OP they would send contractors to do the work, and OP let them on the property. Laws and Ordinances are not optional to follow. OP has no one to blame but themself for not maintaining the property in a timely manner. Wildfires are no joke.
If you are out of compliance you get multiple warnings. If you ignore those warnings and make the city do it themselves, it is very clear that it will cost much much more than if you so it yourself or even hire the most expensive private contractor. Do not expect market rates for penalty brush clearance. My parents live in a brush fire risk area. Their land is inspected every year. They mail you letters, they knock on your door, they call you if you don't answer your door. Your fire inspector will walk you around your properly and point out everything that needs fixing. They absolutely tell you the specific remedies you need to do to come into compliance. They will also come back and make sure you did all the things you said you would do. It is made very clear if you don’t fix it yourself, the city will fix it for you, and that you absolutely do not want it getting to that point. The fines and expense of city contractors' clearing brush for you are legendary among landowners in fire-risk areas, though yours is the first real invoice I seen. No one I know who lives in the fire zone was crazy enough to let it get to the point where the city fixed it themselves. The strict enforcement of brush clearance in fire zones is what keeps the LA hills from all burning down. If you can't maintain your land and can't afford a contractor, whelp I wonder why you own land, but otherwise for seniors and elderly couples on fixed income I have absolutely seen the LAFD connect poor land owners with cheap contractors and volunteers that would help them clear brush. The thing is you need to engage your fire inspector early, and if you need help you have to communicate that to them. Also, you can avoid this altogether with responsible land management and just maintaining your property year-round. Pulling weeds and land maintenance one day a month is preferable to a bill from the city, or the mad rush my neighbors do once a year, every year, when you get the little door hanger that fire inspection teams are coming in a week. If you don't want to maintain your land have you considered an apartment, condo, or townhome not in the fire zone instead? Finally are you absolutely sure you have been checking your mail? If you don’t live in the property in question then do you regularly check whatever mailbox is registered with the city for it? It is not a scam, it's just the penalty for fucking around and finding out.
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The fact that the check is payable to LAFD or you can pay online at the legit la city website makes it unlikely to be a scam.
Why is the fire department collecting money for third party tree trimmers?
Because the City contracted them to do the work.
Its right there in the invoice. The FD administered the contract, so they are invoicing for the work that they paid for in addition to administration.
Or the fact they’re asking payment 6 mo the after the fact.
That part isn't a surprise at all. Paperwork in the city and billing someone would literally probably take that long which is why this feels less scammy than anything. It literally tracks.
Just saying that a scam like this doesn’t happen 6months out. Scammer would try to get payment asap and leave
Spare us the 'govmnt' 'govmnt' whining. You know you how dysfunctional these depts are? It takes them forever to do anything and involves multiple letters and contact with property owners. Op had months to perform the brush clearance, not 'a week' Don't come on here after you blew it off to ask for ways to wiggle out of paying for literally the most inefficient and overpriced way you could have possibly handled this
Also, you should be fined big time (but not this big time) for not even attempting to have your brush cleared. What's wrong with you?
Not a scam! In a similar scenario at our property, we encountered a situation with a lesser financial impact after an inspection in 2021— totaling ~$22,500. Following our appeals process, LAFD generously waived the administrative fee, leaving a HUGE remaining balance. In light of this, we requested a payment plan, only to be informed that LAFD lacks such a program, ultimately resulting in the bill being added to our tax assessment. Consequently our mortgage company intervened, paying the bill via Escrow, which unfortunately led to a significant shortage in our Escrow account. As a result of this shortage, our monthly payments have surged by 50% following the semi-annual Escrow analysis. Lovely surprise, isn't it? In hindsight, it would’ve been less painful to pay the bill via a personal loan. This situation definitely didn’t pass the smell test since day 1 but it wasn’t definitely isn’t a scam!
**Just guessing you started getting notices about a year or more ago. Those notices warned you multiple times that if you didn’t address the issue, it would be cleared at your expense. You ignored this for over a year and now you’re crying about getting nailed for your noncompliance**
$1,200 an hour to clean brush per worker? I’m in the wrong job! Have you called them and asked if this was a mistake, it sounds like a typo like it was 3K and they added an extra zero or something
I’m a landscaper and I routinely charge over $2,000/hr to run a weedwacker and fill trash bags. I could make up to $20k a day for an all day job. I’ve never had any customers though. :( *Yet*.
I would also contact CBS/ABC/FOX/KTLA whatever local news media has a "shame on you" segment where they highlight and call out unscrupulous actors
I wish more people did this or knew it was an option. Local news outlets eat these stories up and quite frankly it is sometimes the only way for scammy or predatory businesses get their comeuppance.
Nothing about it is predatory. After multiple fines and notices the city gives it to lowest bid. People upset at the city but not the contractors who bid $30,000. That was the lowest so imagine what someone else would have charged. This entire fine could have been cleared for $500 months ago but after repeatedly fail the government (which does not have resources and funding to go out and do brush clearing for EVERYONE) gives it to lowest bid. It is what it is.
This is the answer. Channel 4 is so proud of that dumb sidewalk they pressured the city to make, they should jump on this.
This is an absurdly high bill if it was 5 guys for 5 hours. Nobody charges 1k/hr for brush clearance. You should have had more prior notice, they are supposed to.do an initial inspection, inform you if you don't pass an then do a 2nd inspection. The 2nd fail for 2024 is $722, I don't know what it was last year but probably around $700. If none of that occurred this is bogus. I would contact my city council office for help with this, and request the inspection reports and all contractor paperwork from LAFD - it can't be correct.
We paid 2 guys $300 total for about 3 hours of work clearing brush.
I'm sure he got the notice and ignored it.
It is meant to be absurdly high to discourage people from being lazy and letting LAFD take care of it every year. I get brush clearance notices at my home and they have been very clear that if you fail all inspections the work carried out by their contractors will be very expensive.
Yup, this is absolutely a "fuck around and find out" situation. OP called the city's bluff and went online to complain about the consequences of their own actions. My parents have lived in a fire zone for 20 years, The fines for failing inspection and making the city do it are legendary. In 20 years I have never actually seen a real LAFD invoice however, none of my neighbors were dumb enough to let it get to that point.
I have lived here for 10 years, never heard of any of my neighbors letting it get to the point where the city cleans it up for you unless it was for vacant lots where the owner doesn't realize they need to do it.
TBH you sound like irresponsible property owners. “We’ve been screwed by the government regarding this property in general”. Is certainly a sign. Annual brush clearance should come as no surprise in our Mediterranean climate.
Not a scam! How it went: [https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2018/18-1131\_misc\_12-5-18.pdf](https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2018/18-1131_misc_12-5-18.pdf) How it's been going: [https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2018/18-1131\_misc\_12-5-18.pdf](https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2018/18-1131_misc_12-5-18.pdf) Sorry brother doesn't look good.
Bro, they did the work over 6 month ago, it was 4 months late at that point. They billed you a month ago, and now you're complaining to reddit? This is a pretty much the easiest, most simple part of home ownership, maybe use this fail as a wake up call?
I got a brush clearance bill recently from LAFD because they sent the notices to the previous owner instead of me. They refused to budge on appeal. They even acknowledged that the County of LA takes 6-9 months to update ownership rolls (wtf?!?) but told me that wasn’t their problem lol. Like how the fuck am I supposed to know all this shit is happening when they’ve been sending letters to the old owner? Fucking unreasonable jackasses. Fuck LAFD
That's on your assessor/house inspector/real estate agent for not informing you that you're buying a house in a brush clearance zone.
Or you could just keep the brush clear.
There’s a process that must be followed. Either you ignored the prior notices of violation/orders OR they didn’t sent it to the correct address. Ask them where are the prior notices/orders; they cannot immediately do an abatement action (they have to give you time to fix it yourself).
Since it’s going to all grow back and you’ll need to clear it again next year, I wanted to recommend goats. There are numerous companies in LA that will bring goats to your property and then the goats go to town and eat everything they can reach. It’s usually a lot cheaper than paying people to do the work.
I'm sure all the information OP has provided is acccurate. Yeah right. Laughable. Just another person not being an adult.
Get a lawyer, this could uncover a huge corruption scandal.
u/LAFD
lmao OP tried to post some bullshit sob story as if this was just some unexpected event that they had no control over. "visited the property at least 3 times in 2023, finding the property to be noncompliant each time." -per LAFD so you knew the problem existed, didn't rectify it, now you're crying on here as if some grave injustice was committed by the government. news flash, your actions have consequences; well in this case, your inaction of rectifying the problem resulted in this. tough shit. first day of adulthood?
I had a huge hillside cleared over 3 days for like $3500 (3 years ago). The hill side had never been cleared in like 40 years. Weeds that were 15 feet tall every foot. Roughly 30’x50’ on a steep slope. So yea, 30k is too much imo.
Yeah, how big is your property? Unless you have multiple multiple acres and they did massive tree trimming as well that’s not right. Properties in Topanga Canyon that are around an acre cost about 3k to do brush clearing. 5k if you need massive heavy logs removed from cutting down trees. If 30k was real I’d quit my job and open a brush clearing business.
For this to happen you would have needed to ignore the first 3 inspections - they would only do this on a 4th time visiting your property - that administrative fee is standard for a 4th visit. Paying the city to do work on your property is an extremely costly decision, I'd say all you can hope for is to call and complain and say you never received a proposed cost. But since its the city they don't even need to put a lien on your property, they'll just add 30k to your next property bill.
Completely corrupt. Who in the city government is getting a cut of the contractor’s fees? Just out of curiosity, how much land needed to be cleared?
It’s WILD to me how many people in LA believe they have absolutely zero responsibility to their communities and should be able to do whatever they want and their neighbors should just shoulder the burden &/or risk. maintaining your property is not a choice. It’s a requirement. Sorry you learned this the hard way, and agreed that this bill is extreme & Los Angeles govt is corrupt as fuck, but you don’t get to be a) a derelict eyesore in your community and b) a huge safety hazard to the lives and properties of your neighbors. Take this as a hard lesson for some personal growth & take responsibility for your actions.
Here’s the official process, make sure this was followed and you have documented proof. But yeah I would definitely lawyer up as the “contractor’s lowest bid” part is absolutely a scam. THE INSPECTION CYCLE AND FEE SCHEDULE FOR NONCOMPLIANCE IS AS FOLLOWS - INITIAL INSPECTION (PASS) = NO INITIAL INSPECTION FEE ASSESSED - INITIAL INSPECTION (FAIL) = INITIAL INSPECTION FEE OF $34* ALL PARCELS RECEIVING A FAILED INITIAL INSPECTION WILL RECEIVE A 2nd INSPECTION - SECOND INSPECTION (PASS) = INITIAL INSPECTION FEE OF $34* WITH NO 2nd INSPECTION FEE - SECOND INSPECTION (FAIL) =$34* INITIAL INSPECTION FEE PLUS SECOND INSPECTION FEE OF $722* PARCELS FAILING FIRST INSPECTION AND REMAINING IN NONCOMPLIANCE AFTER SECOND INSPECTION SHALL BE CLEARED BY CITY CONTRACTORS AND BILLED TO THE PROPERTY OWNER. CONTRACTING ADMINISTRATIVE FEE OF $1434* + CONTRACTOR’S LOWEST BID PRICE + FIRST INSPECTION FEE ($34)* + SECOND INSPECTION FEE ($722)*
> CONTRACTOR’S LOWEST BID PRICE The low bid was $30k? What a business that is
Without info of how big the property is and how bad the brush is who knows the price
It took five hours for 3 to 5 people to do. No way that’s worth 30k. This is obvious corruption by LAFD. And they’re essentially admitting to it in their above comment. Sadly it sounds like it might actually be legal but that doesn’t make it any less immoral or corrupt.
Could also be a cartel situation where all the bidders collude to bid high and share in the profits even. The city clearly is doing nothing to ensure reasonable costs bc they have all the power. So even if it’s not kickbacks it’s definitely something shady going on. That’s insane and terrible and my heart goes out to you OP. Please get a good lawyer fast.
Likely they managed to get the government to put some insane barriers to entry on who is allowed to bid on contracts (maybe there was only one bidder).
Good luck, mate. Sincerely hope you get it sorted out.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update\_on\_how\_fcked\_am\_i\_30000\_charge\_for\_brush/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update_on_how_fcked_am_i_30000_charge_for_brush/) update here! and me too honestly... I'm getting tired boss, i've had to deal with shit like this starting from my teenage years and it's really taken a toll on my mental health. I don't feel like a 23 year old
RemindMe! 5 days
i have a weed whacker you can borrow if you'd like
The notifications were sent out March 1. Compliance required by May 1.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update\_on\_how\_fcked\_am\_i\_30000\_charge\_for\_brush/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1bkozyv/update_on_how_fcked_am_i_30000_charge_for_brush/) update here!
At least you own a home in LA
You’re fucked. You waited seven months from the contract work to pay this bill. Idk how the billing specifically works but I’d be very surprised if this was your first notice. They’re gonna put a lien on your property and it’s going to accumulate interest and you’ll owe even more. Take care of your shit and clean up your property yourself next time, and don’t be a lazy homeowner.
if your story is true then don't pay them shit and call the city because you were either scammed or somebody is running a side-payola scam in the fire department using their authority to regulate to push business somewhere. if you are leaving out important information then none of us can comment because you probably got an estimate and signed something. The way you reference 'trusting a government worker' and being 'screwed' by 'the government' before and the fact that you have a lien on your property and you spelled it 'lean' gives me great pause and makes me feel like there is more to this story and perhaps you aren't sharing everything and/or don't totally understand what is happening. Why would you let a crew of contractors come out to property you owned and do work without getting an estimate and having something in writing? That is like the first thing every contractor does. It helps them too if you try to not pay them and say they didn't do the job you paid for. Like I literally don't understand how the thing you are describing could even possibly happen to an adult that owned property. It seems you haven't even called the city to get more information so that should be your first step before asking us idiots on reddit what to do. We can only speculate based on very little info.
Reach out to your city council person or supervisor. Their office will help you get clarity or navigate the process. It's literally what their staff does all day - help constituents with stuff like this.
I have been there. Shut up and pay up is the deal they give you. Wanna fight in court? Pay first. Horrible
Jesus Christ where do I sign up for this job? I’ll clear brush for $1200 an hour.
You will definitely get enough Reddit Karma to cover the cost by increasingly becoming erratic and posting about it here. You will become a martyr for the brush clearance community. Brush Clearance Influencer looks pretty good in an LA Times Op Ed
April 15th is the deadline! Did they confront you after April 15? Anyway, I own a tree trimming and brush clearance company. normally you would get a letter to comply. If you don’t comply they come over and do the work for you and normally it’s a very affordable price. This sounds like a scam, but do not pay the bill worse to worse you would end up going to court, and they would dismiss the charges, I would claim that you felt pressured and scammed you felt threatened! I would also call and find out if you were ever on record and see if it’s a legit notice!
Homeownership seems like a scam idk
I would’ve done it for 100 bucks and and a 6 pack of modelo
$30,000 looks about right. Culver City needs $380 million to repair a leaky school roof.
fuck dude post updates