An Inconvenient Burglary
The house had a Supra box on it, so I obtain the key to go inside. I had already been walking around the property, and I had walked the roof. Several neighbors watched my antics with mild curiosity. As I enter the house, a loud alarm breaks forth. I am the center of attention. I grin broadly and wave ecstatically at the neighbors. I walk over to the service panel (breaker box) to trip the circuit for the alarm. You want find anything to steal in there honey; it’s a foreclosure! Says an elderly resident. I am just inspecting the property, I call. Oh, no need to inspect it; you won’t want it. I will look at it any way, thanks. Why, that’s alright; glad to be of help.
The real problem was that this panel was on the front outside of the home, with no lock on it. I put this into my report. I am asked why would I mention that fact on my report. I told them how easy it was for me to disable the security system, and that is why I would place that fact on my report. All of the homes in this area were the same, and none had locks. This was on an inspection last week. I had an inspection on Friday, in a wealthier area, so I thought security would be better. The service panel was located in a locked garage. Perfect! The main disconnect was located out side of the garage, about ten feet from the sidewalk. It was not locked either. Well, at least the builder placed the panel in a secure location.
On Monday, I go into the home to be inspected. No alarm sounds, so I think good. I find the back door unlocked. I wonder why I needed to pay for a Supra key, when I could just walk in. Looking at the back door’s lock set, I realize that I could pull it off from the outside with one pull from a screwdriver acting like a lever. I am glad that this is a safe neighborhood that does not need to worry about theft. This door handle could have been easily fixed by tightening the screws on the interior of the door.
I wanted to post this, so you could look at your own home. I am glad if you do not have to worry about crime, but do you want an inspector (oops, I meant thief) breaking into your home?
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