Firemen in Tennessee refusing to save a burning house unless they get paid.

from "The History of Firefighting"-- Upon arriving at the scene, however, the (Roman) fire fighters did nothing while their employer bargained over the price of their services with the distressed property owner. If Crassus could not negotiate a satisfactory price, his men simply let the structure burn to the ground, after which he offered to purchase it for a fraction of its value.