OK, I got into an auto accident in Eastpointe on 10 Mile near Gratiot back in December....
Someone made a right on a red light without seeing me coming down 10 Mile [[I had the right of way)... and I swerved to the left to miss the car... hit a patch of ice, went over the curb, and hit a street sign. I was not hurt, and my car was driveable, although with a damaged front end [[the street sign was totally undamaged).
The other driver may never have seen me [[or he/she wouldn't have cut out into 10 Mile Rd.), and drove off.
So I drove to the Eastpointe Police Department and immediately went inside to file a police report. An officer accompanied me outside for about 1 minute to check my vehicle damage.
The next day AAA called to say those magic words we all like to hear.... "they were waving the deductible".
Now fast forward to a month later. I get a letter from AAA saying that they denied a claim they received from the Eastpointe Police Department for compensation, because it is "the function of the police to handle accident investigation and traffic control".
Bravo I thought... until I read the attached copy of what the police wanted AAA to pay for....
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"The following equipment and personnel responded to the scene for up to 60 minutes with:
1) 1 Police Vehicle [[$154.00)
2) 1 Police Station Prep/Administration [[$133.35)
3) 1 Police Officer [[$40.00)
The following services were also performed: Investigate Scene"
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What actually happened [[as I told AAA)... was I drove to their station, spent about 10 minutes with an officer in the lobby... who filled out a police report, and xeroxed my Drivers License, Proof of Insurance and Registration. Then another officer came out to the parking lot for 1 minute to view my damage.
Maybe they sent an officer to check up on my claim of an undamaged street sign [[I went back myself to inspect it... it was a heavy duty one with no damage)... but it sure looked as though they were trying to get AAA to pay some money for work they never did.
But what gives?
I realize that many metro Detroit [[not just Detroit) cities are hurting... but are their Public Safety departments in such dire straits, that they're resorting to try to get money from insurers [[or us)??
Something tells me that in the near future this same bill may come to my house... demanding payment. If so... I know better than to drive over to that jurisdictions police department to complain... and would rather handle it by phone.
Are cities now resorting to charging "non-taxpaying non-local" folks for their police services?
Has anyone else had an accident with any type of compensation request [[their insurer or themselves?) from a police department??
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