Bluh.
We got home tonight at about 6:30 and immediately noticed that the cover was gone from DH's motorcycle. Uh-oh... The bike has an alarm on it with a bump and tilt sensor, so we're having a bear of a time figuring out how they got the cover off without setting off the alarm, but such is life.
Walked in the house and all was well until DH went to the back door. While the lock was still turned properly in the knob, the door itself was no longer latched. Luckily we have a chain at the base of the back door.
At this point he promptly rushed me out of the house, got his 45 out of the truck and checked out the house inside and out. Everything's in place that we can tell, the only thing missing is the $65 weather cover which we will now have to replace.
First thing we thought: why couldn't they take the motorcycle, we'd get 50% more than we paid for it?!?? At least we have a sense of humor, right?
So, battened down the house and headed out to price a new back door. The one we have wasn't damaged but is old and needed to be replaced before next winter for energy effeciency purposes, so the option was to install a deadbolt in the existing door or go ahead and replace the door.
Also bought a 3 pack of battery operated door/window sensors. The only real possible entry points for our house are a window in the back about 4 feet off the ground and that back door. All the other windows are too high off the ground except for 3 in the very front of the house, and those came with decorative/protective wrought iron gratings. Plus they're in the front, like I said, so two of my three retired neighbors can see them...
The good news, everybody, is that this is where money karma rears its wonderful head again. See, I sat down and did the final draft of my taxes, and will owe about $400 less than I had budgeted. Good news, since the cost of a new door, deadbolt, 3 pack of sensors, lockbox for our keys, and possibly a small safe will be, oh, right about $400! Gotta love money karma!
Think Someone Tried to Break In
April 12th, 2007 at 02:32 am
April 12th, 2007 at 04:00 am 1176350434
It helped that we reported the incident to the police (everyone keep an eye on our place but no one dare goes near now ) One of the cop came over and after looking around, told us that the culprit was likely one of the neighbor who had direct view of the item(it was next to the window). Let just say the people renting the house across the narrow street move away shortly after that.
Have you make your report yet?
April 12th, 2007 at 12:01 pm 1176379310
So the motorcycle alarm didn't go off? Or did it fail somehow? Are you certain the cover was stolen?
I don't doubt you. I'm just double checking, because....
If it was theft, houses that has been successfully burglarized has a much higher probability of being burglarized again.... Since some burglars will become emboldened by the success and feel a bit more comfortable around your house.
It's logically lop-sided in my opinion, but that's the way it goes sometimes. Be careful now.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:55 pm 1176382540
the alarm didn't go off b/c DH had it on the least sensitive setting. grrr... now if you look at it wrong it'll yell at you! also, we've found a cover alarm that we'll get when we replace the cover. the bike also has a wheel lock, plus we've got it cabled to wrought iron on the front porch, so someone will have to do some major work to get it off. i told DH we should rig up a rubber snake on a spring underneath the next cover, to try and scare the @#$(!& our of someone if they try messing with the thing again. but, i'd hate to come home and find a dead guy on my porch...
the only things outside are the bike and our grill, neither one of which we mind losing if it comes down to "take the stuff on our porch" versus "break into our house".
April 12th, 2007 at 01:26 pm 1176384362
I know how you feel about the bike getting taken. I wish that someone would steal my van out of the driveway...
April 12th, 2007 at 03:26 pm 1176391562
April 12th, 2007 at 03:49 pm 1176392970
April 12th, 2007 at 03:57 pm 1176393468
and I'm so glad it's a non south african with a crime story for a change...thanks
April 12th, 2007 at 04:04 pm 1176393844
April 15th, 2007 at 02:09 am 1176602987