Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
There are a number of nasty disputes going on around the country between volunteer firefighters and local politicians. Perhaps these types of disputes are inevitable. Lord knows that well over 90% of the career fire departments I come in contact with seem to be at war with their local politicians.
Mayor Randy George of North Haledon, New Jersey who stopped the North Haledon Fire Company No. 1 from responding to alarms earlier this year, fired another broadside at the fire company by sending them a 90 day eviction notice. According to the letter dated September 10, 2010, if the fire company does not vacate the building, the borough will file suit to force the eviction.
The funny thing is, the fire company owns the firehouse.
The media is reporting that there is a restriction on the property’s title that if the fire company is unable to operate, ownership will revert to the borough. I somehow doubt that when the reversion provision was written that anyone envisioned a political battle whereby the borough would first stop the company from operating, and then try to take advantage of that to trigger the reversion.
There is already at least one pending law suit between the warring factions. I have a feeling we have not heard the last from North Haledon. More on the story.
