KRS 75.460: Payment by insurance company of property owner's bill from fire

department -- Property owner's responsibility.

(1) If a property owner who is not a member or subscriber of the fire department which

charges membership or subscriber fees experiences a fi re, incident, or emergency

that the department responds to, he may provide his insurance company with the

billing statement from the fire department.

(2) All insurance companies paying a claim pursuant to subsection one (1) of this

section shall make payment of the stated charge for service in the following manner:

(a) The insurance company may make the check or draft payable to both the

affected property owner and the affected fire department; or

(b) The insurance company may make the check or draft payabl e solely to the

affected fire department.

(3) If an insurance company makes a claim check or draft payable both to the property

owner and the fire department, the property owner shall make payment to the fire

department within thirty (30) days of receipt of the check or draft. If the claim check

or draft is not sufficient to cover the charge levied by the fire department, the

property owner shall be responsible for payment of the balance to the fire

department.

(4) A property owner who is not a member or su bscriber of the fire department who

does not have fire insurance coverage shall be fully responsible for payment of all

charges levied by a fire department for services rendered in response to a fire,

incident, or emergency within thirty (30) days of the d ate of the response by the

department, or within thirty (30) days of the date of an arbitration award rendered

pursuant to KRS 75.450(2)(c). Payment to the fire department shall be in full,

unless a written agreement has been reached between the fire depar tment and the

property owner to establish a payment schedule to satisfy all charges to the property

owner.

(5) If payment for services rendered has not been received within sixty (60) days from

the date of response, or within thirty (30) days of the date o f an arbitration award

rendered pursuant to KRS 75.450(2)(c), and if a payment schedule has not been

established, a fire department may proceed in small claims court or in other

appropriate court action to recover from the property owner all fees associate d with

the response, including attorney fees and court costs.