Bank Sues WV Fire Department For Nonpayment on Apparatus Lease

A volunteer fire company in West Virginia is being sued by a local bank for defaulting on payments for a new 3,000 gallon tanker.

Last August, the Wharncliffe Volunteer Fire Department Inc. purchased a new tanker under a lease-purchase agreement with Country Roads Leasing. The lease agreement was then assigned to Summit Community Bank, who claims the fire company has made no payments and owes it $52,206 plus interest.

The suit was filed March 26, 2014 in Hardy County Circuit Court. No word on whether the bank will be moving to repossess the tanker.

More on the story.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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