Nearly 30 unincorporated properties in Chatham County are facing liens as Chatham Fire works to combat budget shortfalls due to unincorporated county residents who aren’t opting in to the subscription for fire services. The issue has led Chatham County to explore options including a fire fee or ordinance that would require a subscription. “We have 26 liens out there right now, for a total of $236,000,” said Chuck Kearns, CEO of Chatham Emergency Services, which serves as an umbrella for Chatham Fire and Chatham EMS. Currently Chatham Fire covers 34,576 properties in unincorporated Chatham County, but nearly 10,000 of those properties aren’t subscribing, which along with creating budget issues for the department, can put property owners at risk for higher insurance premiums.