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Crash billing fee: West Allis woman sent bill after drunk driver hit her parked car
Crash billing fee: West Allis woman sent bill after drunk driver hit her parked car
WEST ALLIS — When there is an emergency, you can count on police, fire and EMT personnel to show up and help out. But you never think about the cost until you get the bill.
On September 9, 2015 around 12:30 a.m., crews responded to a crash on 76th Street in West Allis. The driver was charged with his eighth OWI. He flew right into a parked Ford Fusion owned by Shannon Clark.
"When I came out, my car was actually blocking my neighbor's driveway. She had heard the impact and actually she's the one who told police where I lived because my car wasn't registered to the city," Clark said.
Clark's vehicle was registered in Fontana, Wisconsin. She didn't even think about that. She was focused on handling this mess with her insurance companty
Clark's car was totaled and since she still owed money on it, she lost a lot.
"I was pretty devastated," Clark said.
Bill sent to Shannon Clark after another car hit her parked Ford Fusion.
After that, another bill came.
The West Allis Fire Department was charging her $250 for the "response" to the crash scene -- a crash she had nothing to do with.
"That made me very angry," Clark said.
She called WAFD and was told to write a rebuttal letter that they would forward to Fire Chief Steve Bane.
Clark wrote a rebuttal letter and was told Bane denied her request.
She also found out new information about the drunk driver — he died the next month.
Clark's insurance company said the billing company told them, "the responsible party wasn't responding to the inquiry so they would just try to get the money" out of Clark.
Shannon Clark's For Fusion getting towed away after being hit by a drunk driver.
They told her not to pay the bill and call the chief.
"So then I called the fire department and tried to speak with him and then I was told I had to go through the billing company," Clark recalled.
Tired of the run around, Clark called FOX6's Contact 6.
Contact 6's Katrina Cravy called the fire department and Chief Bane didn't want to speak with her either. But he did e-mail her a copy of the ordinance that went into effect January of 2013.
You'll only be charged a "Crash Billing Fee" if your vehicle isn't registered to an address within the City of West Allis.
After reviewing Clark's case, Bane changed his mind. Bane dropped the fee.
"Contacting FOX6 has been a life-saver for sure. This is now on the seventh month since the accident. I truly believe this is the only reason they responded to me at all and that the bill has been wiped out is you guys stepped in and were able to help," Clark said.
Shannon Clark retraces the night of the accident with Contact 6's Katrina Cravy.
Clark's case can help you too.
She now knows how simple it is to go online and update an address with the Department of Transportation -- because it's not just West Allis. Other communities also charge similar fees to non-residents to keep property taxes down.