Security Company Broke In!

foggy_lad

today i returned home to find a note stuck in my door jamb stating "keys across the road in number 00" thinking this strange i tried my key in the lock but the expensive lock i had was gone, replaced with some other alien lock in my front door!

then i went across to my neighbour who arrived at her door holding my new keys and she asked had "they" gotten in touch with me?

she went on to explain how some people had drilled out my doorlock and entered my home disabling my alarm and then noticing their mistake(they were in the wrong house) replaced an expensive security lock with a cheap lock from china!

can they enter any house without the owner or at least a garda being there? what if i notice something missing? should i call the guards? any ideas on what i should do?

mad m

Breaking an entry as far as I'm concerned. You have your neighbour as a witness to the fact. Get onto the company straight away or the Garda...They forced into your abode without permission, its there mistake if they got the address wrong and caused damage to your home.

Spocker

Erm, I'd be calling the Guards pretty sharpish, and taking plenty of photos, particularly of anything the "security company" might have damaged, including your alarm.

I could be corrected, but I believe that is called "breaking and entering"?

Witcher

guards, first thing tomorrow, thats what id do!




:cool::cool::cool:

foggy_lad

thing is they didn't damage anything far as i can see they obviously drilled out the lock and replaced it and had some code to over-ride the alarm obviously being locksmiths they would know how to do all this so the guards if they turn up will just say no damage done, its a civil matter etc ??

foggy_lad

blay1 wrote: »

guards, first thing tomorrow, thats what id do!
:cool::cool::cool:

Spocker wrote: »

Erm, I'd be calling the Guards pretty sharpish,

I could be corrected, but I believe that is called "breaking and entering"?

yeah suppose better off even just reporting it as if i was burgled in few weeks or months this might be relevant?

Dub13

That is crazy,keep us up dated on how you get on.

dudara

foggy_lad wrote: »

thing is they didn't damage anything far as i can see they obviously drilled out the lock and replaced it and had some code to over-ride the alarm obviously being locksmiths they would know how to do all this so the guards if they turn up will just say no damage done, its a civil matter etc ??

They entered your abode without your permission. No matter what way you look at it, that's breaking and entering. At the very least, I would expect an equivalent lock to the one that they destroyed. It's not very reassuring either to know that they can override your alarm system.

Cabaal

Its breaking and entering, you weren't there and nobody gave them permission to do so,
Call the Gardai and report it and contact the security company and advise them you've reported it as such and want your lock sorted sharpish!

antoinolachtnai

It's not B+E. There was no criminal intent.

foggy_lad

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

It's not B+E. There was no criminal intent.

yes indeed it was a !mistake" and the guards just recorded the complaint and advised i contact a solicitor and to get back in touch with flight hawk security as some form of compensation will be due regardless of it being a mistake!

please remove name of company if its not allowed to mention them

TheDriver

I'm more concerned about overriding alarm codes in this case.................

dudara

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

It's not B+E. There was no criminal intent.

Ah, fair enough. Do as the Gardai advised and get in contact with a solicitor with regards to some form of compensation.

Does anyone here know how common it is for security personnel to override a security alarm?

Musha

Why didn't anybody call the Garda when they where doing it? Neighbor etc
Put a person in a branded van and uniform and they can do basicly what they want? no questions? I would be livid report them to guards as it will be noted when their licence is up for renewal, what if there had been someone at home when they started drilling through the lock eldery person or teenager they need to be made aware that opps sorry, wrong house! won't be good enough.

antoinolachtnai

Mind you, I don't think they should have gone ahead without the consent of the householder. This is a wrong thing to have done. You could talk to the private security authority. I don't know if they're regulating locksmiths yet.

foggy_lad

ok was talking to the locksmith and he apologized for their mistake and he did not turn off the alarm it continued to go off untill it cut out on its own and he has replaced the lock with a more secure one requiring a card to have keys cut. he will cover any damage to the lock/door as soon as i have it examined by my own locksmith.

he was very professional apart from the original mistake so i am happy with the outcome

although it does raise the question about how easy it is for anyone with a van to drill the lock and clear out your house with neighbours thinking they are genuine workmen!

and far as i know he did have consent from the other householder to enter the other house!

Mylow

There was program on BBC last few days showing how people react in different situations. Basicly if someone wears a uniform we take their word as gospel. they had a guy in uniform asking people to walk around an apple core, nobody ignored him when in uniform.

jhegarty

A bank got robbed in Waterford about 10 years ago by "workmen".... working on the roof all weekend.... no one said a think to them...

Random

I would probably tear out their lock and get my own one installed. Wouldn't trust theirs, the incompetent fools.

cgarvey

Good to see it sorted. Often these things are sorted without the need to go in with guns blazing and the barrister on speed dial, despite what some posters would have you do (even knowing very very little about the case).

Simple honest mistake (and might not even be that of the locksmith, who might have been given the wrong address himself), so calm down!

boa-constrictor

Cabaal wrote: »

Call the Gardai and report it and contact the security company and advise them you've reported it as such and want your lock sorted sharpish!

If ever you're negotiating with someone and you want a particular outcome it doesn't make alot of sense to report them first and then ask for the outcome because there is less incentive for them to comply with your request ie in this case it would make more sense to ask, then threaten to call the Gardai if they don't comply and then call the Gardai if they dont comply. If you call the Gardai first why would they bother giving you the new lock. They're as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.

Just a little tip.