Inventory List

📬 Step 1: Add Your Mailbox to Your Inventory List

Whether you’re a homeowner, renter, or business owner, your mailbox is considered personal property under California law — and it’s often overlooked in fire recovery. If your mailbox was damaged or destroyed in the disaster, consider including it in your inventory and documentation process.

✅ Example:

🗂️ Item: Mailbox
📝 Description: Standard mailbox (post-mounted or wall-mounted) used for receiving daily mail.
📍 Location: Front yard, gate, exterior wall, or business entry.
💰 Estimated Value: $50 (varies based on style: locking, decorative, standard, etc.)

📸 Documentation Tip: Even if the mailbox was destroyed, archived images from Google Street View or a previous real estate listing can help verify its existence.

📦 Step 2: Document Lost Mail

If important mail was inside your home or mailbox at the time of the fire — including bills, legal documents, letters, or deliveries — you may want to include this loss in your personal inventory or affidavit.

This guidance applies to renters, homeowners, or business tenants who had personal or professional items on the premises.

✅ Example:

🗂️ Item: Incoming Mail
📝 Description: Bundle of letters and packages containing legal, financial, or personal information.
📍 Location: Kitchen counter, entry table, office desk, or mailbox.
💰 Estimated Value: $100 (or adjusted if valuable contents were included)

⚠️ Privacy Note:

You are not required to list sensitive contents in detail. General categories such as “legal documents,” “checks,” or “government correspondence” are sufficient, particularly in declarations or claims.

Courts and legal representatives may look for:

A clear timeline (e.g., date of the fire and affected items)
General categories of loss
Tangible impact (missed deadlines, reissuance fees, etc.)
Good faith efforts to replace or recover the materials

📨 Step 3: Report Lost Mail to USPS

You can initiate a formal search or statement of loss through the USPS:

Visit: USPS Missing Mail Page
Click: “Start Your Missing Mail Search”
Include relevant info: name, current address, mailing address before the fire, estimated mail date, and description.

📋 Example Claim Statement:

"Mail and property were destroyed in the Eaton Canyon Fire, including my mailbox and important documents. This statement affirms the total loss of mail containing personal, legal, and financial information. Contents were untracked and unrecoverable, resulting in service disruptions, missed deadlines, and reissuance burdens."

🛠️ Step 4: Reinstall Your Mailbox as a Symbol of Strength

For those who can safely do so, reinstalling a mailbox is a small but powerful act of reclaiming your space and dignity. It supports community resilience and keeps vital postal operations active—especially after our local Altadena Post Office on Lake Avenue was lost in the fire.

No permit is required to reinstall a mailbox.
Doing so honors recovery efforts, strengthens local infrastructure, and affirms your right to restore essential services.

⚖️ Step 5: Talk to Your Legal Team

This is not legal advice. However, if you’re working with a legal team, it’s worth mentioning the loss of mail and your mailbox as part of your personal property documentation. These details may support broader recovery efforts.

📚 Why Documentation May Matter

Mail is protected property under federal law (18 U.S. Code § 1708), and its destruction may factor into broader claims under California’s civil codes.

Careful documentation can:

Help verify losses in insurance or FEMA claims
Support legal efforts when negligence is suspected
Provide a historical record of the event’s personal and financial impact
Aid in reestablishing services or recovering critical information

By protecting your records, you help protect your rights—and contribute to a broader understanding of how disasters affect real lives and communities.

NOTICE: The following information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult your attorney, legal representative, or claims specialist regarding any issues related to lost or damaged mail or other personal property losses. This resource is intended to assist survivors and affected individuals in documenting potential losses related to the Eaton Canyon Fire and similar incidents. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, legal standards and insurance practices vary. Always seek professional advice before submitting official claims, declarations, or sworn statements.