Crash victim fights for change after getting slapped with bill from fire department

By Sarah Michals , Jon Austin

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    SHELBY TWP., Michigan (WXYZ) — This week, Macomb Township resident Sharon Hardy received a bill in the mail from the Shelby Township Fire Department.

“I thought it was a joke,” said Hardy.

She showed us the bill which came to a total of $1,293.04, she said that she is being asked to pay $431.02 of that.

What’s it for?

It says right on the bill that on November 9 the fire department was called to the scene of an incident.

According to Hardy, that incident was when a car crashed into her and her husband’s car, as well as one other car, at Van Dyke Avenue and 25 Mile Road.

Hardy said that the driver who hit them apologized and said he was not paying attention well enough.

She said that a good Samaritan nearby called 911, the Shelby Township Fire Department showed up, but she didn’t receive any service from them.

“I didn’t use them why would I be getting billed for this?” said Hardy. “The accident was clearly was not our fault, why would you be billing me for this?”

Hardy called the fire department assistant chief and was told that the bill is because of a Township ordinance passed just 5 months ago in July.

“Everything I asked him he kept saying to me, ‘This is cost recovery ma’am, you don’t pay taxes in Shelby Township, if you lived in Shelby Township and you paid taxes in Shelby Township, you would not have received the bill.’” said Hardy.

7 News Detroit reached out to the assistant chief to learn more and received a call back from Shelby Township’s community relations director.

He sent this statement:

“Shelby Township residents generally do not pay additional fees for emergency services, such as police and fire responses, beyond what is funded through property taxes. However, there are situations where the Shelby Township Fire Department bills insurance companies for specific services. For example, in car accidents, ambulance services or house fires, the fire department may bill insurance to cover the costs associated with the response.

As Michigan operates as a No-Fault state, any billing related to an accident is typically split among all involved parties, regardless of who may have called 911. Even if no one at the scene specifically requested fire department services, the fire department must respond to ensure the safety of everyone involved, including first responders. When our team arrives, they work quickly to secure the area by blocking traffic, assessing injuries, sometimes extricating individuals from vehicles, providing necessary medical care and clearing the scene.

Regarding billing, a typical example might involve an ambulance charge of $800, where insurance may cover $500; in this case, the remaining $300 is written off. Individual Shelby Township residents are not held responsible for the balance if their auto and homeowner insurance policies do not include provisions that cover emergency services responses. The only instances where the township may seek full cost recovery are cases involving legal violations, such as DUI, or ordinance violations, like an illegal burn that spreads. Otherwise, individuals’ insurance coverage covers these costs, and no additional fees are passed to Shelby Township residents.

Passed by the Shelby Township Board of Trustees in July 2024, Shelby Township Ordinance 299, see attached, allows the township to recover costs associated with emergency services provided to nonresidents. This includes situations where the fire department, police or EMS services are required for incidents involving nonresidents, such as accidents or violations within the township. This ordinance and policy is consistent with similar policies in municipalities in the metro region, state and nation.

These costs are generally billed to insurance providers or the party responsible if insurance does not cover them. This ordinance ensures township resources are compensated for services provided to individuals who do not pay local taxes. You can find this ordinance and all of our ordinances in our online code of ordinances at library.municode.com/mi/shelby_charter_township,_(macomb_co.)/ordinances/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=13311 [library.municode.com] or by searching “code of ordinances” on the township’s website.”

“Why do they have budgets, why do they have these things, taxes and stuff like that, if they’re still going to charge you?” said Hardy.

According to her, her bill was divided between her, the driver who hit them, and the other driver also hit.

It reads “due immediately.”

She told us that she worries about others who would be unable to pay the bill, or those who now won’t call for help due to the price.

“My hope is that Shelby Township will re-look at this ordinance and protect the innocent,” said Hardy.

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