NICE – Most property owners protected by the Northshore Fire Protection District's Nice fire station were the unfortunate recipients of two tax bills this year.

Due to a billing error, the annual Nice fire fee was not included on their regular tax bill.

Approximately 3,969 property owners were notified by the Lake County Tax Collector in November and received an additional bill for the fire fee. Fire protection services at the station depend directly on the parcel tax to operate.

Nearly half of the bills remain unpaid and there is concern that recipients may have forgotten or are unaware of the charge which is due on April 12, 2010, according to Lake County Treasurer-Tax Collector Sandra Kacharos.

If unpaid, the bills will incur penalties on April 13 in excess of $20.

Property owners in the Nice fire protection area should consider if the fee is applicable to them and whether it was included on their original tax bill. They are responsible for payment of the fire fee even if their regular property taxes are paid by their lender.

A list of properties affected can be found on the tax collector’s Web site at http://tax.co.lake.ca.us and at the Northshore Fire District office 707-274-3100.

Duplicate bills can be obtained from the tax collector, or can be viewed and paid from the tax Web site.

Dry hot summers in rural areas like Lake County create extremely hazardous fire conditions. Firefighting is dangerous, costly and public safety often depends on a swift and skilled response from the fire station.

Northshore Fire Protection District firefighters are the first responders to most emergencies on the Northshore. The annual parcel tax provides critical funding for the department, funding that is particularly important as the fire season approaches.