LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION
Fire Company Duel
West Penn Township, PA: (Mar-05-08) Andreas Fire Company, two of its officers, and its relief association, brought charges against West Penn Township, PA over an accounting dispute related to funding and the company's status as the township's provider. The suit stated that the fire company, Andreas Relief Association, and fire officials Paul Breiner and Marsha Breiner, sued the township after a November 1999 vote to recognize West Penn Fire Company, then new, as the only fire protection service in the township.
The plaintiffs further accused the township of withholding funding from Andreas over what they said was insufficient accounting. The relief association is an entity that volunteer fire companies use to channel public tax dollars they receive. Officials with the new company said problems within the original company prompted almost 100 members to form the new company. The supervisors had been at odds with Andreas Fire Company for nine months before the split because supervisors had demanded an audit of the Andreas company's books.
Annual fire protection funds were not disbursed in 1999 because supervisors were unsatisfied with the audits they eventually received. Supervisors then sought to have the companies merge, but Andreas refused and complained it was wrongly being accused of misusing funds. Andreas then sought an injunction against the new company's role with the township, saying among other things that West Penn firefighters had insufficient training to perform emergency services.
As part of a settlement reached, Andreas Fire Company, two of its officers and its relief association will get $150,000, resolving the dispute. Under the deal, the settlement says that to get township funding in the future, a fire company must demonstrate its qualifications. Both Andreas and West Penn Fire Company No. 1 will continue to operate in the township as per the regulations set out in the agreement. []
Published on Mar-6-08
The plaintiffs further accused the township of withholding funding from Andreas over what they said was insufficient accounting. The relief association is an entity that volunteer fire companies use to channel public tax dollars they receive. Officials with the new company said problems within the original company prompted almost 100 members to form the new company. The supervisors had been at odds with Andreas Fire Company for nine months before the split because supervisors had demanded an audit of the Andreas company's books.
Annual fire protection funds were not disbursed in 1999 because supervisors were unsatisfied with the audits they eventually received. Supervisors then sought to have the companies merge, but Andreas refused and complained it was wrongly being accused of misusing funds. Andreas then sought an injunction against the new company's role with the township, saying among other things that West Penn firefighters had insufficient training to perform emergency services.
As part of a settlement reached, Andreas Fire Company, two of its officers and its relief association will get $150,000, resolving the dispute. Under the deal, the settlement says that to get township funding in the future, a fire company must demonstrate its qualifications. Both Andreas and West Penn Fire Company No. 1 will continue to operate in the township as per the regulations set out in the agreement. [
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