fire dept wouldn't put the fire out...

[Letterbox Mike]

Someone posted this on Facebook today and it sparked an interesting debate. I'm curious what other people's opinion on this is...

http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/Firefighters-watch-as-home-burns-to-the-ground-104052668.html

Sorry if this should have gone under NHB politics...

 

[Marlene]

Each year, Obion County residents must pay $75 if they want fire protection from the city of South Fulton. But the Cranicks did not pay.
The mayor said if homeowners don't pay, they're out of luck.

as stupid as this may be, it sounds like the guy was aware of the $75 fee. I have never heard of anything like this and wonder if it is common in some parts of the country. the city/town sounds like a "great" place to live. I'd like to hear more of the reason behind having to pay a yearly fee what made them go to this system.

 

[SignManiac]

Wonder if they would have still let if burn if a person was trapped inside the house?

 

[Marlene]

Wonder if they would have still let if burn if a person was trapped inside the house?

good point. at what point do they draw the line on this stupid fee being paid or not

 

[showcase 66]

Thats messed up. I can understand the reason they have the fees and what not but still that is messed up. I know some commercial areas around here are out of the city fire district. If a fire breaks out in them, the fire dept will show up and make sure everyone is out and safe. As soon as all the people are out of the building. They stand back and watch it burn. I bet if the people were trapped in the house, they would have done what they could to rescue them, but that would have been it.

Curious to see what the insurance company will say about it. "What you didnt pay your $75 fee to the fire dept. Denied"

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

Need I stress once again the need to ALWAYS have a fully stocked fridge as well as a cooler in your truck (just in case the dwelling housing the fridge is on fire). Would they have let it burn then? I would have been screaming MY BABY ROLAND!

 

[Pat Whatley]

Watching the interview where the guy said "Well I thought they'd come put it out even if you didn't pay the $75" is all I needed to hear. Bet the rest of the neighbors got that check written early today. I'm sure if there were people trapped in the house the fire department would have been there immediately. As horrible as it is that the guy's house burned to the ground he knew the rules and was willing to risk it to save $6.50 a month.

I'm kind of surprised his mortgage company wasn't paying the $75 (if he had a mortgage company)

 

[Gino]

I've never heard of anything like this, but if the guy did indeed know about it in his town.... and the law has been around since 1990 and they had a recent episode in 2008, I don't think the guy has a chance of getting anything back.... even in civil court. As mentioned, I don't even think his insurance company will do anything. That's a F**ked up law, but it's still a law. Gotta draw the line somewhere.

 

[Flame]

Help those who need help.

Honestly if I lived in that city, I'd have a press hayday with the fire hall. Sure it's a law, but I got free speech too, and I'd make their life miserable.

To just sit and let a house burn is messed up. Don't care if it's a law, you want your fee? He'd have paid 50x over that fee, on the spot, to save his house. But they wouldn't. Sounds like they're trying to prove a point.

Honestly that just angered me, sorry if I'm coming off harsh.

 

[Bigdawg]

I agree with ya' Flame. They should have put the fire out... and charged him accordingly...

 

[Pat Whatley]

Flame, he's outside the area that pays the taxes that support the fire department. By going to put out his fire they are leaving the people that pay for them unprotected. They offered to let him buy into the protection area for $75, he wasn't interested, he didn't want the protection.

If I'd been in the area paying for the fire department and my house caught on fire and they couldn't put it out because they were out of town putting out a fire for a freeloader I'd burn the fire station down.



(I did a search a while ago to find out more about this because I think it's interesting. Almost every forum I ran across where it's being discussed is calling this "a glimpse of what the tea party wants to do to America")

 

[royster13]

I was a former insurance adjusted and attended many claims where the closest fire department sat and watched as the location was outside their jurisdiction.....So long as there was no firefighting agreement in place, the location was insured as "unprotected" and the claims were processed.....Usually there was a hefty premium and deductible......

 

[threeputt]

Flame, BigDawg, that's not how fire insurance works. Or any kind of fee-for-services works.

After watching the video, it sounds like he lives outside the immediate city where (presumably) his city taxes would fully cover the cost of fire protection. But they do offer outlying areas (who don't pay those city taxes) the added fire protection for a once yearly fee of $75.00. Which he declined to pay. (which is his right) But he gambled and he lost. End of story.

To hear his wife belly-ache, "well h*ll we'd a payed whatever it cost to put it out" is to show her total ignorance of how fire insurance works. One pays into a fund. Not everyone is going to have a fire that year. So they spread the estimated cost of putting out "x" number of fires to the number of people they figure will pay the fee. Simple. You opt in....or you opt out.

Obviously we'd all pay on her crazy idea. What if I could drop all my insurances and coverages and only pay if and when I had an incident? Woo hoo! What an idiot.

 

[weaselboogie]

=As horrible as it is that the guy's house burned to the ground he knew the rules and was willing to risk it to save $6.50 a month.

I feel sorry for the guy, but I'm agreeing with Pat... He knew the rules, and chose not to worry about it. "Well I thought they'd come put it out even if you didn't pay the $75". I think the rest of the nation needs to impliment some tough love like this.. There'd be a lot less freeloaders if they knew that there wasn't a safety net.

He was willing to pay the premiums when they were there though, wasn't he? That would be like offering to pay your insurance premium after you totalled your car.

 

[Bigdawg]

...

He was willing to pay the premiums when they were there though, wasn't he? That would be like offering to pay your insurance premium after you totalled your car.

No, I think he was actually offering to pay whatever it cost to save the house.... which would be like paying to repair your car...

I see the point and understand... just don't agree that it was the right thing to do....

 

[threeputt]

I feel sorry for the guy, but I'm agreeing with Pat... He knew the rules, and chose not to worry about it. "Well I thought they'd come put it out even if you didn't pay the $75". I think the rest of the nation needs to impliment some tough love like this.. There'd be a lot less freeloaders if they knew that there wasn't a safety net.

He was willing to pay the premiums when they were there though, wasn't he? That would be like offering to pay your insurance premium after you totalled your car.

Yep. Have to agree. Too many bleeding hearts out there. Not enough people willing to buck up and live by their choices. He gambled, he lost.

One of the things that's not "right" with our current culture. IMO

 

[Flame]

So we going to get pay by day cops now too?

"oh...you live 5 miles out of the city. Can't help that your neighbor stole your car, dog and beat up your wife".

Same thing right? Tough love

 

[signmeup]

They should have put it out for whatever the going rate for putting out a house is. That way others who opt out will see how cheap $75 is.

 

[Brandon708]

Whats next we have to pay $75 fee to Police Officers.

911 caller: someone broke into my house and I have children sleeping in their rooms downstairs. Please send help ASAP!!!!
911 operator: Okay, I need you to calm down. I see by your phone number you haven't paid your yearly subscription to our 911 emergency services. Please call this 800 number to set up your account. After you have done that please call us back. Have a nice day and thank you for calling 911 emergency services

 

[anotherdog]

This is how it used to be. You paid a private fire station a fee each year, they put up a plaque on your house. No plaque and they would just watch it burn. I guess Fire Brigades that were late or did a bad job lost customers and went out of business just like any other company.

I don't see what the fuss is about. It's the true American way. Let the weak and the poor suffer, I'm okay.