And please keep us posted as to the outcome!
Go to a hotel. Present the neighbour and the HOA* and the alarm company* with the bill for compensation, with a demand letter indicating you’re go to small claims court. Follow through if necessary, and make sure you’ve filed a complaint with the police and that you have some record that they came by, and that you also talked to the HOA and alarm company.
(HOA and alarm co. won’t pay up because they aren’t responsible, but it’s still better to paper everybody).
Think of it this way. If they left on a faucet that caused a flood that required you vacate your home for X number of days, they’d probably be liable not just repairs but also for your accommodation.
I wouldn’t put up with that crap.
Four hours is probably the extreme outside of what’s tolerable for something like this. Funny how the authorities never have any problem barging in and telling people what noises they can make until something like this happens, and suddenly their hands are tied. It’s crystal-clear this wouldn’t be happening next to the police station or the White House, and everybody knows that.
Get the TV news involved, and maybe also your local politician.
This was my first thought. What if the guy was burgled and maimed or something awful in his apartment? Isn’t the whole point of an alarm system that the cops come out when the company contacts them? Usually, you aren’t home when your home is broken into, right? So, if I haven an alarm, am not home, and someone breaks in. . . the cops wont check if I’m being burgled? Seems. . . not useful.
Absolutely! Now I’m hooked.
I still think you need to just start flipping breakers on this guy’s box until the alarm quits. Then, if you are feeling magnanimous, turn all but the last one back on.
If they can gain access, they can rip the battery out to the siren.
The alarm panel and/or klaxon will have 12V battery back-ups, standard - so you wouldn’t know the right breaker had been opened until after the battery had fully discharged.
Tampering with the neighbour’s power is probably a bad idea, anyway - unless you can get the condo association to take responsibility.
I like the way you think!
Do we have any way of knowing that the homeowner isn’t dead on the floor after a robbery attempt gone sour? Call the cops again and bring it up. Be worried. Be very worried. Keep asking if they’re dead.**
Get pregnant. Have a baby boy. Buy boy drumset for Christmas. Enjoy sweet revenge. Just in case this goes on longer than you’d hope.
Any word yet? Were they dead?
Then just turn them all off. Wear gloves in case CSI is called in. You don’t have to come back and post for all the world to see what you did.
Call the media.
So… any update on the situation? Hope it’s worked out.
This is my first read of the thread and I too thought this proves you could steal everything they own.
For the record, the police don’t seem to think this way. I called them once when an armored car pulled out of a 7-11 parking lot in a tire-squealing roar and drove the wrong way down the access road, forcing cars off into the grass, then ran a red light. My first thought was “something must be terribly wrong.”
The police said “If you have a complaint about the driver, call the armored car company.”
“What if the driver’s dead, or tied up in the back?” I replied.
The police were not interested.
Come back, JHE1967! Come back!
Maybe he’s staying in a motel or with friends and has no Internet access.
“911, what’s your emergency?”
“Yeah.. oh my GOD… oh my GOD! A PLANE just flew into the WORLD TRADE CENTER and exploded!”
“Ma’am, you’ll need to contact the airline if you have a problem with your flight.”