I was robbed :(

[customersruinmylife]

Eversince I moved into my house, I have been having an issue of people locking the front door. They NEVER do it. I have the downstairs room next to the front door, so I was concerned about this. Every time I went out, I locked the door, and seeing as my roomates never lock it, nine times out of ten, when I locked the door, I locked them out. Somehow, this made ME in the wrong for doing this.

Every time I told them to lock the door, the response would be "There are hundreds of houses on this street, what are the odds of us getting robbed?" I would say all it takes is some idiot taking a chance, walking down the street, trying the doors until they came across an open one. The response "That's paranoid"

Oh great, I've been robbed! I get back from work, the front door is open, my room door is open, my laptop is gone, DVDs gone, the watch my parents got me for my birthday gone, and for some bizarre reason, my large winter coat.

My roomates were in the LOUNGE when this happened, and they never noticed or blinked an eye.

I went nuts, threw a full bottle of wine against the wall, shouted, screamed, and apparently I was being unreasonable.

My parents came down to drop off an old laptop of theirs for me, and also to do a stock take before the police came round. As this was happening, one of my roomates went out and left the front door OPEN. Now I don't mean unlocked, I mean they left the door OPEN.

I am now terrified to leave the house. The laptop wasn't the most expensive thing in my room, and it was insured (although I'm not claiming until I get a lock on my room door!) but whoever was in my room must have seen the Xbox 360, the Wii, the TV, the DVD player, the ipod, the camera and the THOUSANDS of pounds worth of DVDs. My roomates still won't lock the door, so whoever robbed me can easily come back for more.

My landlord has got me on a priority list for a lock on my door seeing as I'm so anxious.

And...my roomates aren't talking to me! Apparently I'm in the wrong!

[Saydrah]

Do you have a comprehensive renter's insurance policy listing ALL your valuables? I certainly hope so, since you said the laptop was insured, but if not, call an insurer immediately. State Farm has a fairly good renter's insurance program.

Secondly, if you have a lawyer in the family or as a friend of the family, or if you can afford a brief consultation with a lawyer, please do so ASAP. Your landlord may be liable for any damages or loss of property because he is aware of the issue with your roommates failing to secure the property and hasn't taken action to require them to lock the door or to evict them. You might see about having the landlord lower your rent by the amount of your renter's insurance premiums each month, since he is responsible for the need to have renter's insurance.

And I'm sorry about the laptop- I can't imagine losing mine! :cry: It's like family.

[customersruinmylife]

Unfortunately I don't think thats an option. My landlord was not aware of the problem, I thought it was something I could handle myself (ie through constant nagging or something)

The landlady has been great actually. She came round and called the other tennants irresponsible and told one of them to switch rooms with me and see how they like being robbed.

I just don't understand how I'm in the wrong. I called the police and they came round, did a fingerprint sweep. All they could think of was how inconvient it was for them! They think I went overboard calling them seeing as it was "only a laptop".

[Saydrah]

Hmm, ok, well, now you know to tell the landlady every time this happens- and I do mean EVERY time. Call her immediately EACH time your housemates go out without locking the front door. Keep a log in writing, too.

And get that renter's insurance if you don't have it.

[Shangri-laschild]

Crappy roomates can make things suck big time. :( Hope things get easier while you wait for the lease to be up. Stuff like this is why I won't live with roomates. Good luck. I hope the lock helps things.

[gunsage]

WATCH YOUR ROOMMATES. Really. I had a situation somewhat similar to this in college. Basically put, I had bought a PS2 waaaaaay back when they were $300. I didn't have many games for it, but what I had I really enjoyed. I had moved away from my "trouble" roommates to a new apartment and one of my new roommates had a bad habit of "forgetting" to lock the door. I think you see where I'm going with this. It didn't help any that shortly after the robbery (yeah, ONLY the PS2 was taken, not the TV, computer, etc.) I saw him joking around with my old roommates.

Fun stuff.:mad:

Edit: I'm not surprised you reacted the way you did and you certainly weren't sucky for it at all. You ought to find some new/better roommates.

[crazylegs]

customersruinmylife,

Your insurance may not cover your loss, as in the eyes of the insurance company they may find that 'sufficient steps were not put into place to prevent the theft'(ie the door was not locked). If that is the case your only recourse to recover the cost of the missing goods may be taking your room mates to the small claims court.

Sorry.

[Bright_Star]

Something strange about roommates who don't care about basic security. It leads me to believe that they might have had something to do with it. Has that occured to you?

[Shangri-laschild]

If that is the case your only recourse to recover the cost of the missing goods may be taking your room mates to the small claims court.

Probably not a bad idea...they left the door open and put your stuff at risk and are therefor at fault too really. It wouldn't have gotten stolen if they hadn't done that. So did none of there stuff get taken then? That is kind of fishy.

[crazylegs]

So did none of there stuff get taken then? That is kind of fishy.

The average walkin type (dwelling) burglary only takes around three minutes, and seeing as the door was unlocked that doesn't give much time to hunt for all th ebest goodies, open one door, grab the best from there then make good your escape.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, I have to suspect your roomates, too.

After all, there are hundreds of houses on the street, right? What are the odds someone would rob your house (their belief, not mine)? Especially with them sitting right there?

I would take them to small claims court. I believe they set you up.

[customersruinmylife]

I live in the downstairs bedroom, and like I said, someone was in the lounge when it happened (I know because he had fallen asleep on it when I returned). To get to the other rooms, you have to go through the lounge and up the stairs, so in the eyes of the thief, it would be a lot easier just to go for a quick grab in the first bedroom.

I really don't think my roomates had anything to do with it. They are nice people, but they are just completely oblivious to the fact that there are sucky people in the world. They honestly believe that no one in good concience could walk into someone else's house and take something. Whereas, I was a student, and student dwellings are haven for robbers, and I've had my fair share of friends lose things.

Unfortunately I've got to wait until August before I can get out of here. I've already got a new roomate lined up, my best friend who I don't currently live with. I can't wait.

[Greenday]

Yeah, I have to suspect your roomates, too.

After all, there are hundreds of houses on the street, right? What are the odds someone would rob your house (their belief, not mine)? Especially with them sitting right there?

I would take them to small claims court. I believe they set you up.

I'm going with that's a little too paranoid. That's like saying, "There are millions of houses in the world. Why yours?" It's a house, and houses have stuff in them. Usually expensive things can be found in people's houses. Every house is a target.

Now, I'm not going to say you should hide a couple REALLY expensive things from your roommates' rooms the next time they leave the door unlocked, but I'm also not going to say it'd be freaking hilarious to see the looks on their faces when they are all missing some expensive items.

[customersruinmylife]

Now, I'm not going to say you should hide a couple REALLY expensive things from your roommates' rooms the next time they leave the door unlocked, but I'm also not going to say it'd be freaking hilarious to see the looks on their faces when they are all missing some expensive items.

I was sorely tempted to do that earlier. I came in, and the only roomate in was in the shower, and had left their phone on the coffee table. I very nearly picked it up and walked straight out the door with it.

There is one roomate I don't blame at all. He is the same as me, and agrees that the door should be locked all the time. He was in bed when it happened, so someone has quite obviously left the door open when he has not been around.

He was also the only roomate to come and check that I was OK.

[lordlundar]

Considering what's been happening, you might want to consider working with your landlord to get a lock fro your room. This sounds like a crime of opportunity, and you had some prime stuff. If such a simple matter will stop this, and there is no cooperation from your roommates to stop this, some unilateral action should be taken.

[MadRocketScientist]

I'd ask the landlord to put spring arm and an autolock on the door, so it closes and locks automatically.

[BookstoreEscapee]

In this day and age, who the hell in their right mind doesn't lock their doors?!

Will the landlord let you put a lock on your bedroom door yourself? I wouldn't wait, if I were you...

I'd ask the landlord to put spring arm and an autolock on the door, so it closes and locks automatically.

Exactly what I was thinking. I live in an apartment complex where two apartments share a common external door. All the doors have springs so they close automatically, but the outer door can only be unlocked from the outside with the key. You cannot leave it unlocked (it doesn't lock from the inside). There is a doorstop if we need to make multiple trips in and out for short periods (bringing in groceries or whatever) but it's actually in the lease that the doors are not allowed to be propped open. The doorknob on the actual apartment door can be unlocked but it still closes on its own. (The only problem I have is that you can't see who is outside, unless they happen to be standing in the right spot to be able to see them through the window at the top of the door as you're walking down the stairs.)


honestly believe that no one in good concience could walk into someone else's house and take something.


What they fail to recognize is that criminals do not tend to be in good conscience...

[DesignFox]

I'm sorry for your loss customersruinmylife. :( I was burgled last year in February and it was horrible.

I don't know what your situation in life is, but I have not had the means to replace any of the things I lost that night. (My camera and photography equipment especially makes me :cry:)

(My BF's insurance refused to cover my things- even though, at the time, I was merely a guest not a full paying resident.)

It sucks.

Your roommates deserve a good ass kicking for leaving the door open...freakin' honestly! I'd make them replace your things.

[BlaqueKatt]

sorry but I wouldn't be worried about the robbery-I'd be more worried about people with more sinister intentions-especially if there are females in the house-find some old newspapers with various assualts in them-alot of the time in college areas it happens due to college students NOT locking their doors. Here in my city we had about 15 sexual assaults in the dorms(finally caught the guy), but even after the first one the girls were STILL leaving their doors unlocked-mainly because they didn't want to carry keys with them(and this was AFTER campus security ordered everyone to lock their doors due to the serial rapist hitting the dorms)

[Seshat]

I recommend asking your landlord if you can fit a lock to your door and file a copy of the receipt with him for reimbursement. That means you can do it today.

And until you have the lock fitted, stay with a friend/family member who locks his doors, and keep all your valuables with him too.

I would talk to a lawyer about who is legally responsible: most likely your roommates are. In which case, they're the ones who get hit with the lawsuit.

I'd also talk with the lawyer about conditions of lease. It's quite possible that this situation means you can legally get out of your share of the lease right now, if you wish. So you don't have to stay with the irresponsible roommates until August, you can move in with your friend as soon as he/she is out if his/her lease, or as soon as you find a place.

[dispatch]

That really sucks dude! I had it happen last summer, between feeling violated and wanting to go chuck norris on the responsible parties it's just not a fun day, apathetic roommates and law enforcement don't help much either.

secure your valuables as best you can and have a beer, or whatever you may do to chill out, insurance and, from the sound of it, the landlord should get you squared up in no time.

as far as the roomies thing goes; to hell with them. I had a couch-surfer staying with me who is the reason my place got robbed, before the incedent he couldn't understand why I had a problem with him having random people over every night or why I wanted to keep a low profile with the neighbors or the landlord (if I were found murdered in my apartment all I want my landlord to tell the detective is "he kept to himself and paid the rent on time, never bothered anyone" verbatim). if they're going to refuse to talk to you because you're pissed about getting robbed then they're honestly not worth talking to.

The insurance adjustor is probably going to ask how old the itmes were , brand names, model numbers, how much do you think they were worth, etc. for DVDs and the like they asked for a guess at how many were taken and an average age of the movies (IE; 1 year from release date)
for more expensive items they like to see proof of purchase, etc if possible.

Hope things improve for you!

[gbm85]

I know this is anal, but you weren't robbed. You were burgled. If you had been home when they entered, and they used force or fear to take your things, that would be robbery. Stealing from an empty house is burglary.

[tropicsgoddess]

Your roommates deserve a good ass kicking for leaving the door open...freakin' honestly! I'd make them replace your things.


Same here. Sorry about your loss customersruinmylife. Our home was broken into once when I was about 10 or 11 years old. I remember coming home from school one day and seeing the house torn up and my dad saying it was a bunch of punk kids that took his and my mom's money. I'm happy your landlord is being understanding about your ordeal. Hopefully you can move away from your sucky roomies.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I know this is anal, but you weren't robbed. You were burgled. If you had been home when they entered, and they used force or fear to take your things, that would be robbery. Stealing from an empty house is burglary.


Hehe. Technically, simply breaking in with the intent to steal is burglary. You don't have to actually take anything...(according to dictionary.com). :D

[DesignFox]

...between feeling violated and wanting to go chuck norris on the responsible parties it's just not a fun day...

<shudder> That's the worst part about it... :( I didn't sleep for days afterward, and I still hear the "boogeyman" sometimes when I try to fall asleep.

BlaqueKatt...I never understood the girls in my dorm who didn't lock their doors. We had a pretty low crime rate on campus, but still...my roomie and I were firm believers in locking the door...much as you want to trust the other girls around you, you just never know!

[XCashier]

Eversince I moved into my house, I have been having an issue of people locking the front door. They NEVER do it.
:wtf: Who in the twenty-first century DOESN'T lock their doors?! Have your roomates never heard of "crime"? That is baffling beyond belief.

[Dreamstalker]

Our home was broken into once when I was about 10 or 11 years old. I remember coming home from school one day and seeing the house torn up and my dad saying it was a bunch of punk kids that took his and my mom's money.
I still remember the first time we got broken into. It was a two-family across town, somewhat jokingly known as the "crackhouse" (the bathroom in that place truly did look like one from a crack den).

I came home through the back door one day, went into the living room and saw stuff strewn everywhere and the door kicked in (yes, I was extremely, extremely lucky not to have walked in on the thieves).

I dropped my food, touched nothing and called the cops, then my mom. I was able to see what had happened (they kicked in the lower door panel, put a towel down then reached in and undid the deadbolt--there was blood on the towel and what remained of the door). I could tell the cops pretty much what went down, and was ignored (if I'm a kid and in shock, then how the hell can I tell you what you guys missed?)--in fact, the officer tried to convince us that we left the door unlocked (this is why I think the insurance company never paid out for what got nicked--jewelry, my game console and mom's pro camera equipment).

The Twit in college never locked her door either; as I knew her schedule, many times I was tempted to show her why that was a bad practice (not actually taking anything, just messing with stuff in a non-harmful way).

Can the roommates be turfed for (at worst) accessory or at best causing an unsafe environment?