Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire Department Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Robeson supervisors approve $7,440 payment to stop fire truck repossession amid dispute over late fees
Summary
After months of back-and-forth with leasing agents and the Friendship Fire Company, the Robeson Township Board voted to pay $7,440.53 from the township’s fire line to prevent a ladder truck from being repossessed and to secure a payoff statement for further review.
The Robeson Township Board of Supervisors voted June 18 to authorize a one‑time payment of $7,440.53 from budget line 411.500 to Community Leasing Partners to clear an outstanding amount on the Friendship Fire Company’s ladder‑truck loan and avoid repossession.
The decision followed a lengthy exchange among township staff, fire‑company representatives and supervisors about the source and legitimacy of the charges. Fire‑company representatives and township staff disagreed about whether the additional fees were legitimate late charges and whether the township or the volunteer company was responsible for the invoicing. At one point a township official said the bank demanded $7,440.53 to remove the truck from default and requested the payment by June 26.
“It is $7,440.53 from budget line 411.500,” a township official said during the meeting when asked how much was needed and where the funds would come from. Fire‑company representatives said they could cover part of the amount and that some prior paperwork had been misplaced, while the lender’s representative insisted the full payoff was required to clear the default.
Supervisor discussion reflected concern about both protecting emergency apparatus and ensuring fiscal oversight. One supervisor said paying the amount was necessary to avoid immediate loss of the apparatus; another warned the board had a duty to protect taxpayers and expressed unease about paying disputed charges without clearer documentation.
After amending the agenda to add the item, the board moved and approved the payment by roll call. Supervisors also directed staff to request a formal payoff statement from Community Leasing Partners and to research alternate lending options. Township staff said they would return any refunded fees to the same fire fund if the late charges are subsequently reversed.
The action resolves an immediate risk to fire apparatus availability while leaving open follow‑up steps: staff will seek the payoff documentation the board requested and said it would continue to investigate the payment history that led to the dispute. The township also asked the lender for a payoff statement and said it would explore lenders as an alternative to the current lease arrangements.
