Fire Victim Trust

Frequently Asked Questions


Claimant Demographic Information


22. How do I change my mailing address?

After logging in to your Portal on the Fire Victim Trust website, open the Claimant Details screen for the Claimant whose address you wish to update. Click the Edit Claimant Details and update the Current Mailing Address to update your mailing address.


23. Do I have to provide my Taxpayer Identification Number to the Trust?

Yes. Section V. of the Fire Victim Claims Resolution Procedures requires that Claimants provide the Trust with sufficient information to verify their identity as part of their Claims Questionnaire. Using a Claimant's Taxpayer Identification Number ("TIN") allows the Trust to (1) verify that each Claimant provides his or her actual name and TIN; (2) prevent a Claimant from inadvertently or intentionally using a different person's name and/or TIN; (3) avoid processing or paying a claim for a fictitious person; and (4) avoid paying a Claimant for the same injuries or damages more than once.


24. How do I add or change the Claimant name or Social Security Number (or other Taxpayer Identification Number) that I provided to the Trust?

After logging in to your Portal on the Fire Victim Trust website, open the Claimant Details screen for the Claimant whose information you need to update. Click the Edit Claimant Details button and add or update the information (e.g., Claimant name, Taxpayer Identification Number). You will be able to add or update the information until you submit a Claims Questionnaire.

 

After you submit a Claims Questionnaire, or after one is submitted on your behalf, you must contact the Claims Administrator to request any corrections to your name or Taxpayer Identification Number.


25. What happens if you can’t verify my Taxpayer Identification Number?

If we can verify your Taxpayer Identification Number ("TIN") through our own research, then we will not ask you to provide any further information or documents about your TIN. In a small percentage of circumstances, we will not be able to verify a TIN, often because of typographical errors or because the name associated with the TIN is different from the name you provided.

 

If we are unable to verify your TIN, we will request additional information depending on the type of TIN you have provided:

 

  • Social Security Number (“SSN”).  If you are using an SSN, and we cannot verify your information, we will ask you to provide any of the following information:

     

    1. A legible copy of your Social Security Card from the Social Security Administration that displays your name and SSN. If you do not have a copy of your SSN card, you can get a new card by visiting https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/replacement-card.html or by calling 1-800-772-1213; or
    2.  

    3. Any other official documents issued by the Social Security Administration bearing your SSN.

       

      Instead of providing documents from the SSA, you may mail us a completed, signed and dated SSA-89 Consent Form authorizing us to contact the SSA directly to verify your SSN. The SSA requires your consent before it will release information about your SSN; the notice we issue to you will contain a copy of the SSA-89 Consent Form that you must complete and sign to consent to the release of information from the SSA. If you do not fill out the form completely, we will be unable to confirm your SSN with the SSA. If you choose to submit a completed SSA-89 Form so that we can contact the SSA directly, you must mail us the original, signed copy of the SSA-89 Form by either of these methods:

      Mail: By mail to Fire Victim Trust, P.O. Box 25936, Richmond, VA 23260

       

      Delivery: By overnight carrier to the Fire Victim Trust, c/o BrownGreer PLC, 250 Rocketts Way, Richmond, VA 23231.
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  • Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (“ITIN”).  If you are using an ITIN, and we cannot verify your information, we will ask you to provide a legible copy of your ITIN Assignment Letter from the IRS that displays your name and ITIN. If you do not have a copy of your ITIN Assignment Letter from the IRS, you can request a replacement letter by calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
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  • Employer Identification Number (“EIN”).  If you are using an EIN, and we cannot verify your information, we will ask you to provide a legible copy of your EIN Assignment Letter from the IRS that displays your name and EIN. If you do not have a copy of your EIN Assignment Letter from the IRS, you can request a replacement by calling the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 1-800-829-4933.
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  • Foreign ID Number.  Individual Claimants who do not have an SSN or ITIN can provide the Trust with a Foreign ID Number, which should be a unique identifier assigned by your country of origin. If you use a Foreign ID Number, you must provide documents corroborating the Foreign ID Number and confirming the country that issued it.

     

    You will not need to provide any of these documents unless and until we notify you that we have been unable to verify your TIN. If you have received such a notice from us and have submitted documents in response, we will review your submission and will notify you if we need additional information.


26. How did the Claims Administrator identify the Fire Victims included as Claimants in the Trust?

The Trust relied on data reported by Prime Clerk (now Kroll), the claims and noticing agent in the Bankruptcy Cases. The Claims Administrator continues coordinating with Kroll and PG&E to confirm which claims are channeled to the Trust and will add new or update existing Claimants in the Fire Victim Trust Portal on an as-needed basis. If you have questions about inclusion of a specific Claimant in your Portal, email the Trust at info@firevictimtrust.com and include the Proof of Claim Number appearing on the Kroll Bankruptcy register (here) in your email.


27. Where did the Claims Administrator get my contact information?

The Claims Administrator obtained your contact information from the Notice Party data in Question 4 of the Proof of Claim form you filed.


28. Where did the Claims Administrator get information about my family and/or household members?

The Claims Administrator obtained information about your family and/or household members from Question 3 of the Proof of Claim form you filed.


29. Where did the Claims Administrator get information about my Loss Location?

The Claims Administrator obtained information about your Loss Location from Question 8 of the Proof of Claim form you filed.


30. My Loss Location is incorrect. How do I update my Loss Location?

You cannot change an existing Loss Location. However, you can remove an incorrect Loss Location and add a new Loss Location with the correct address.

 

After logging in to your Portal on the Fire Victim Trust website, open the Claimant Details screen for the Claimant whose Loss Location you need to update. In the Loss Location Information section, click the Add Loss Location button to add a new address or click the red trashcan next to an existing, incorrect address to delete it.


31. My Portal shows the same Claimant twice. How do I correct this?

If you previously submitted information for the same Claimant more than once, you may see multiple entries for that Claimant in the Plaintiff Information Used to Create Claimant section of the Claimant Details screen. If your Portal shows the same Claimant twice, the Claims Administrator can merge the data to create one unique Claimant. If the Claimants should be merged, click the Confirm button and provide any necessary comments. If the Claimants should be separate records in our system, click the Contest button and provide the details to verify that the Claimants are separate and unique individuals or entities. Afterwards, the Claims Administrator will contact you with any questions and to confirm resolution.


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