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apartment being "broken" into

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jesslee83

Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? tx

yes, i say "broken"

2 months ago, i lost my original apartment key during a car accident(my key chain was lost). this happened in california. so wheni got back, i asked the complex for another. my manager told me she didn't have time to make another, so just to keep that one...i told her i didn't see a need to replace the locks, heck i lost the keys in california! haha...

2 weeks ago, i had 2 things come up missing...my wallet and my digital camera. i came home tuesday, after running to the mall, to find my wallet on my couch, underneath my husbands 401k papers. well, it obviously hadn't been there the whole time:rolleyes:

yesterday, after i get home from work, i trip on my camera...which was in front of my sons play thingy...i know it hasn't been there this whole time, i move his jumper to vaccum:rolleyes:(again). i go in my kitchen, and there is fastfood in a bag on my countertop! some tiny backhole place(according to the following conversation)

i went to the office, and told the asst mgr that my house is being broken into. BUT no i don't leave it unlocked, and yes only hubby and i have keys. i also tell her, that last monday, i came home and for SOME reason, maintenance is just standing in my living room(my door was locked, i had to unlock it, but there they were!)..again, if you read above, the mgr didn't have time to make a copy of my key, so she gave me the property's key.

she rolls her eyes, and asks if i requested maint. i tell her no, there's no isses. she checks her log, and says that they weren't scheduled to be there, maybe i'm mistaken?! i tell her let's go ahead and change my locks, i tell her about the wallet/camera and the fast food. she says "maybe it's your husband"...my husband works offshore, so no i'm pretty sure he hasn't been in the house ;) she says we'll replace the locks etc. all is well, and i sign a complaint form.

TODAY, i get my cable bill, and it shows that on 3 consecutive days, adult movies were purchased on my cable...i argue with cable company. then i go to the office...and tell her that the day the maint men were in my home, pornographic movies were ordered. she literally calls me a liar, and that it was probably me. so i'd already came armed, i had my time sheet from work on those days(we get copies of our sign in/out on paydays)...and i tell her, that the time of day i found them in my house, is the same time all these porns are being bought. she calls me a liar again, and tells me that she has no record of them being in my apartment, except for my statement. so she gets the head manager. who i guess likes me lol...b/c she tells the asst that she's heard everything, including the day i made the statement. and why wasn't she notified? the asst says b/c she feels it's all false, and "given the area i wouldn't be surprised she just wants money"(we live in a BAD area, to save $ for a year)...so the manager fired her on the spot...about an hour ago, i got home from walmart, and the "now" old asst is coming out of my apartment! again, i'm supposed to be the only one besides hubby with a key!

argh, i guess i'm asking, what can be done about the assistant? well sure she doesn't work here, and i just spoke with the manager who assures me she'll take care of it, but the asst lives here(her lease wasn't term'd. just her employment)...so she's getting keys from someone, somehow...the manager gave me permission to choose my own lock, from lowes, and said she'd call ahead tomorrow, and let her husband know(he works there somewhere), that way, her husband can use her credit card to do it, and that she'll relay to the owner what's going on...BUT i still have to give a key to the office, so how do i know this woman won't still have access? oh and i did learn this evening, one of the painters here, is her son:(
 
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Who's Liable?

Senior Member
IMMEDIATELY file a police report of the incident where you saw the ex-employee leave exit from your house.

Inform management you had to recourse but to file a police report on the ex-employee because of their behavior.

The police report may cause the termination of their lease.

Additionally, if you ever come home and see someone in your unit that you are NOT sure of, immediately call the police and report a break-in and the people are still there. If the ex-employee walks out before the police arrive, lead the police to said unit where they may be located.
 

Cvillecpm

Senior Member
When your key was "lost" you should have ASKED for the locks to be changed and OFFERED to pay the costs

Mgmt will claim your "break-in" is because of your lost key
 

FarmerJ

Senior Member
Not that it makes a huge difference but it is likely the locks in the building are on a mastered system , one mastered key to unlock many doors, get your police reports in order and make it clear to management that they are going to pay for the charges incurred on your bill Or you wont hesistate to sue them in small claims court and any further entry with out reasonable advance notice for non emergency entry will be treated as lease violation. Send your letter via certified mail. Keep it in a bank box along with a extra copy of the lease and your copy of the police report. BTW password your cable service so nothing can be ordered with out using a PIN . BTW you can go to a lock smith and buy a new lock and give to the manager a key copy that has the shops name on it and stamped DO NOT COPY. My guess is the party who entered your unit is still using a mastered key to gain entry. By creating a paper trail with police report , vid bills, etc and video proof of the unit being entered when there was no reasonable notice given Ill bet a court would agree with you if you were attempting to prove that management abused its privledge and your lease had been violated.
 

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