Tennessee Firemen Ignore Burning House Over Unpaid Subscription Fee

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Honestly that's the only way I could see something like this working. They provide the service anyway and then bill for the cost. I mean in this case the firefighters showed up anyway... I don't get it at all.

The firefighters showed up in case the next house, which did pay the fee, caught fire. Will I agree in theory, nobody would pay the fee if they only had to after the fire was already put out. And as for your earlier point, who would the taxes go to?

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

The firefighters showed up in case the next house, which did pay the fee, caught fire. Will I agree in theory, nobody would pay the fee if they only had to after the fire was already put out. And as for your earlier point, who would the taxes go to?

Someone previously mentioned they paid taxes to the city/county and then that entity paid the appropriate municipal provider of services.

Thus the county contracts with the city to provide service to the outlying community. It's pretty common with other services and not crazy in the case of fire fighting services.
And I'd expect a post-service bill to cost more than the pre-service fee, if it were arranged that way. So, now instead of providing a service at a cost you have a homeless couple. How is THAT a better outcome in any way shape or form?