I failed to report this. And failed elsewhere!

S

spacemanspiff

New member
Forgot to post about this the other day.

Tuesday morning, I left for work. My girlfriend was at home, and one of the roommates left for work about noonish. The other roommate has been out of town fishing.

Minutes after my gf hears Ray leave, she hears footsteps upstairs on the deck and the sliding glass door opening. She is puzzled since she didnt hear a car pull up, and leaves the bedroom (all three bedrooms are downstairs, ground level, upstairs is the kitchen and living room, the deck is accessible by stairs outside and connects to the kitchen) to go see what Ray is doing, see if he left a cup of coffee in the pot. She closes the bedroom door, which is heard by whomever is upstairs. The footsteps run across the upstairs, the door slams shut, and exits the stairs outside.
My gf didnt get a chance to look outside the window to see who was there, or if a vehicle was there.
She was spooked the rest of the day. On the plus side she didnt just cower inside, she did make sure to have a presence on the deck, and plinked with the pellet gun on the targets in the backyard from the deck, just so anyone around would know the place wasnt empty.
Our home is one of the last on a dead end road, and set back far enough from the road itself that you cant really see the house, or tell if anyone is home. You have to come down one of the driveways.

So let me list the areas I failed:
1. House was not secure. The windows were unlocked, as were the doors. The doors to the deck dont really lock, but it can be wedged shut with a 2x4.
2. I haven't got my gf trained on the use of the guns, she knows a little, but isnt proficient. I haven't taken her to the range yet, and have only been shooting once all year. I can at least get her used to the light recoil loads in the 12 gauge and keep the 20 gauge easily accessible as well.
3. I also haven't got her accustomed to reacting tactically. My first instinct is to check out the bedroom window anytime I hear a vehicle approaching, or just to see if my roommates are home or not.


See next post.....
 
So before I moved in here, the place had already been hit by thieves. The landlord sometimes goes on minivacations on a whim and leaves the house unattended. Well not anymore, now theres at least two or three always residing there.
But there are as of now, no keys to the front door, unless the landlord finds them, we will have to have it rekeyed so the place is secure when we are gone.
The dead end road we live on has a lot of traffic, most legitimate, as there are trails to an Equestrine (sp?) park, across the street, lots of people come up with their horses, or just hike it for fun. But there are also a large amount of kids who come up to hang out, look cool, get stoned, drunk, etc.

So we informed the neighbors about the intruder in the home, and got everyone on high alert. Yesterday, after the landlord came back home, we told him about it, and he finds out from one of his friends, that it was not a simple intruder, but a buddys relative. Not my buddy, the landlords. I have never met said buddys relative, nor has my gf, and the supposed reason of 'just checking on the place' doesn't sit well with me. They knew that Ray and myself and my gf are around, every day. There is NO REASON for them to come in the house.
Occasionally the buddy does have a need, maybe to plug in a battery charger for the dumptruck he parks at our place, but thats it.

I answer all strange noises around the place pistol in hand, and the gf asked to be taught how to use the shotgun so she will also respond to things that go Bump.


The landlord doesnt know it, but his buddy is going to get a mouthful from me next time I see him.
 
Sounds like you've got a good handle on things.

I agree that rekeying the lock is critically important when moving into a new residence. The day I start moving into a place I meet the locksmith at the house and that's the first thing that gets done.
 
First thing I do...

is set-up a motion detector covering the drive and or the rear deck to illuminate and or sound a buzzer.

Next notify via email , fax to the landlord to immediately upgrade the locks to the house, and if not done in thirty days you will deposit the rent is an escrow account until done. If he take you to court you have proper documentation for your action.
 
Your landlord needs to have a talk with his "Buddy".

In most states tenants have the same right to privacy and security as the landowner, this goes for the landlord as well. Again most states require he give "reasonable" notice prior to entry except in emergencies.

On the other hand, in most states you may not withhold rent except in extrme cases of life safety, and this isn't one of them.
In this state that would be grounds for eviction and court fees at worst or late fees at best.
If the landlord provided serviceable locks when you moved in you have no right to Demand that he "Upgrade" them, nor change them without his permission.

If your landlord is a decent sort, he will most likely cooperate with a reasonable request.
Try that first, and if things don't work out ck with the state for a booklet on Landlord/Tenant rights.

Don't do something that may cost you in the long run, Ck it out first.
 
Well the batch of bearbait that was being prepared on the deck certainly worked. A 300lb blackbear made short work of that. I wasnt awake for that one. This was last Monday morning.
Wednesday morning I overslept and was woken up by what sounded like a lot of dogs and some commotion outside the bedroom window. I look out to find a black bear, so I wake up everyone else, and then notice a cub climbing a tree. Then a second cub appears. They all wander around the side of the house where we find a third cub in tow.

None of them seemed to concerned about us humans, our windows were open so they could hear us, and they didnt mind us going on the deck to watch them.
Bear cubs are NOISY!
 
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