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disturbed
Poutine andSodomy



Registered: 10/15/02
Posts: 1,877
Loc: O-H-I-O
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mail slots possible security risk
#7653072 - 11/18/07 11:29 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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My friends apartment got burgled this weekend it sucked ass. My friend has a mail slot on her front door and we think they must have reached through the slot and unlocked the door (we were able to fit our hands in and unlock it after we thought of it). We were all out all day getting shit faced for the ohio state michigan game and I went to change my shirt when we got home and couldn't find my bag of clothes.
I just brushed it off cause I figured my friends room mate just cleaned up and moved it somewhere so I passed out for a couple hours and asked the room mate when she got home. She swears she didn't move it, so I told them they better check and see if any other shit is missing. The room mates laptop she just got last month was missing and my friend got like $300 in cash stolen it definitely put a damper on the celebration. What FUCKING BULLSHIT!
She said they have tried to get the landlord to get a new door and get them a mailbox but they kept blowing it off. They are pretty much fucked because they didn't have renters insurance (I know the cash would be lost eitherway) there's no way the land lord is anyway responsible is there?
Anyway I called and talked to the landlord and they are bringing a new door and a mailbox out tomorrow and there is now razor blades in the mail slot in case that mother fucker tries to come back between now and then.
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11/25/07 first time entrant ban lottery champion
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johnm214



Registered: 05/31/07
Posts: 17,582
Loc: Americas
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Re: mail slots possible security risk [Re: disturbed]
#7653090 - 11/18/07 11:34 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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The landlord probably isn't responsible. They only have to provide reasonable accomodations at common law.
If you never complained about the door previously, they have a very convincing argument that "we didn't know, and they didn't either".
Not to say you couldn't sue, but I think it'd be tough unless you can find a local law of some type requiring a certain degree of security...
(which their certainly should be in columbus... fucking crackheads)
My friend's place down there (for one year) saw three people get raided by the narcs... small segment of the street too
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Rob
Curious Stranger

Registered: 08/20/05
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Re: mail slots possible security risk [Re: johnm214]
#7653143 - 11/18/07 11:53 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Is she living there for school and move back home during the summers?
If that's the case and it is only "home" for school, then she could very well claim insurance on it.
My student house burned down at the beginning of this year just off campus. When the landlords insurance adjuster came by she informed us that we could claim it.
It falls under the category of "items temporarily removed from residence" under her parents home owners insurance. That'll only be the case though if she permanently resides with her parents. If she does qualify for that, they sometimes have a cap on the size of the settlement, so my suggestion would be to snap some photos of the place with a bunch of things in there that are borrowed (laptops, xbox, ipods etc) and bump up the claim to the cap.
Hopefully that made some sense and helped you out a bit. Thieves are the scum of the earth.
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johnm214



Registered: 05/31/07
Posts: 17,582
Loc: Americas
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Re: mail slots possible security risk [Re: Rob]
#7653178 - 11/19/07 12:05 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Rob said: snap some photos of the place with a bunch of things in there that are borrowed (laptops, xbox, ipods etc) and bump up the claim to the cap...
Thieves are the scum of the earth.
hmmm
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Rob
Curious Stranger

Registered: 08/20/05
Posts: 30
Last seen: 15 years, 7 months
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Re: mail slots possible security risk [Re: johnm214]
#7653186 - 11/19/07 12:13 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
johnm214 said:
Quote:
Rob said: snap some photos of the place with a bunch of things in there that are borrowed (laptops, xbox, ipods etc) and bump up the claim to the cap...
Thieves are the scum of the earth.
hmmm
Hahahaha, I guess that kind of contradicts itself now doesn't it.
Let me correct myself then...
Thieves who break into homes and rob people are scum, but if you steal from an insurance company, you're spot on in my books. They're criminals anyways, so I don't feel bad at all.
Edited by Rob (11/19/07 12:14 AM)
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fastfred
Old Hand



Registered: 05/17/04
Posts: 6,899
Loc: Dark side of the moon
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Re: mail slots possible security risk [Re: Rob]
#7653813 - 11/19/07 08:14 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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You must be a really great guy, advising people to commit insurance fraud and all. We should all be listening to your advice and taking moral lessons from you.
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disturbed
Poutine andSodomy



Registered: 10/15/02
Posts: 1,877
Loc: O-H-I-O
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Re: mail slots possible security risk [Re: fastfred]
#7654239 - 11/19/07 11:18 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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They actually did complain about the door since they moved in, but they were complaining about because the slot made it a little drafty not because it was an insurance risk.
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11/25/07 first time entrant ban lottery champion
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johnm214



Registered: 05/31/07
Posts: 17,582
Loc: Americas
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Re: mail slots possible security risk [Re: disturbed]
#7655467 - 11/19/07 03:53 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Well if they lie and claim that they identified the security risk, you'd have more of a case.
Depending on the size of the company, they may want to just settle if you sue, but if it goes to trial I think you're on thin ice...
Look at findlaw and the free lexis site for caselaw or reviews on premises liability for landlords... since this was a commercial door, I doubt you can do much.
You could try finding the door manufacturer or a similar one and looking at their literature. If they say you must have another door (like an iron bar thing) in addition to the main door to prevent this threat, you might have more of a case (the landlord installed a door against the man. instructions and you paid for it)
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fastfred
Old Hand



Registered: 05/17/04
Posts: 6,899
Loc: Dark side of the moon
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Re: mail slots possible security risk [Re: johnm214]
#7657885 - 11/20/07 05:44 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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You're forgetting that you can't really afford to sue over tiny pissant claims like this.
I don't think the landlord really would have any liability anyways. You'd have more chance against the door manufacturer or installer.
I say live and learn. The fault is really your own. It's everybody's job to keep their own shit secure. You really can't blame anyone else as it should have been obvious that the door was a security risk.
-FF
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero



Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
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Re: mail slots possible security risk [Re: fastfred]
#7658282 - 11/20/07 09:59 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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> You really can't blame anyone else as it should have been obvious that the door was a security risk.
... or if it wasn't obvious to you, then why would you expect it to be obvious to the landlord? Where is the negligence?
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
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johnm214



Registered: 05/31/07
Posts: 17,582
Loc: Americas
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Re: mail slots possible security risk [Re: Seuss]
#7660143 - 11/20/07 06:19 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Seuss said: > You really can't blame anyone else as it should have been obvious that the door was a security risk.
... or if it wasn't obvious to you, then why would you expect it to be obvious to the landlord? Where is the negligence?
yeah, as I said earlier. The only way to beat that defense is by demonstrating that the manufacturer recomended the door be installed in a different manner to avoid this security risk.
As for FastFred's "pissant" comment, if you hire an attorney, yes. If you sue yourself, no.
I won a pro se case against a large corporation (they settled, but I was on solid ground anyways) via simple research and collecting documentation.
I'm not saying the OP should do this, just saying he could. From what he's said so far it sounds like the landlord didn't do anything wrong unless he disregarded the door's instructions- and I'm not sure even if they advised another security door that would have stopped the thief.
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Caribou_Lou
Stranger


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Re: mail slots possible security risk [Re: johnm214]
#7662084 - 11/21/07 09:41 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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What kind of dumb motherfuckers make a door that can be unlocked through the mail slot? Don't bother taking it to court.. 1. they didn't lose that much and 2. they would probably lose anyway 3. lawyers are cocksuckers.
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero



Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
Last seen: 2 months, 20 days
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Re: mail slots possible security risk [Re: Caribou_Lou]
#7662559 - 11/21/07 11:55 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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> lawyers are cocksuckers.
Only the ones that encourage frivolous lawsuits; the ambulance chasers, so to speak. When you have a good lawyer looking out for your best interests, they are worth their weight in gold. It is unfortunate that there are so many slimey lawyers, as the bad ones tend to tarnish the reputation of the field as a whole.
> What kind of dumb motherfuckers make a door that can be unlocked through the mail slot?
I had a very petite girlfriend that could reach into coke machines, past the theft prevention devices, and manage to pull out cans of soda. It was pretty rough on her arm, but an impressive feat.
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
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sherm
sherman


Registered: 10/02/03
Posts: 20,498
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Re: mail slots possible security risk [Re: disturbed]
#7662605 - 11/21/07 12:06 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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get a PO box for your mail. and then find a way to secure that mail slot (sheet metal + screws), you get the idea.
-------------------- shroomery. not even once.
    
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