posted on Friday, April 25, 2008 9:58 AM
by
klehan
Nashville (TN) Double Alarm Permit Fees
Residents who have already written the check may not have noticed they paid twice as much as last year to protect their home.
For people who have a security system and live in Metro Nashville, the fee for having the system has increased 100 percent.
Shelley Duryee has been protecting her Green Hills home with an alarm system for years. She said she paid her 2008 alarm permit registration bill without even thinking about it last month and that she didn't notice the fee had doubled.
"It does seem kind of odd that I was charged twice as much," she said.
The outgoing City Council increased the residential permit fee from $10 to $20. For businesses, it jumped from $25 to $50.
"Yes, 100 percent. But it has been 18 years since the first fee was established, and it has never been increased since that time," said Metro clerk Marilyn Swing.
Part of the increase is due to false alarms, officials said.
"Very time consuming and very resource draining," Swing said.
Even systems that are not monitored by an alarm company or systems that were self-installed, the owners must still register the alarm system. Plus, if an alarm goes off and police show up and a resident doesn't have a sticker, it could be costly.
"The fine and court costs for not having a permit or displaying a permit can exceed $100," Swing said.
Looking at it that way, Duryee said she doesn't mind digging deeper in her pockets.
"I always thought it was really low, so I guess $20 doesn't faze me," she said.
The false alarm fee also increased from $50 to $75. Residents are also allowed three false burglary, robbery and fire alarms each in a year.
The permit increase is expected bring in $1.2 million.