Landlord charging for Fire Alarm

[Soccerdude3888]

What is the name of your state? Massachusetts

Hey,
Our apartment received a letter yesterday stating the following.

__________________________________________________________________________
Dear Residents:
On Saturday, March 15, 2008 the fire alarm for the building was activated by one of your guests pulling the emergency fire alarm button in the hallway outside your apartment. The guest was attending the large party you had that night and the large number of people in the hallway congregating outside your unit.

Tampering with a fire safety device not only inconveniences other residents but is also a serious safety issue as well. Persons responsible can be prosecuted. You will be responsible for paying Douglass Park for any charges arising from this incident.

Section F (4) of your occupancy agreement states: "Resident agrees to pay amounts due for repairs for property damage, reasonalbe wear and tear excepted, or injurey to the apartment or...facilities or other property in the Development caused by the intentional or negligent conduct of Resident, a member of the Resident's household or guests upon receipt of a bill from Management."

A copy of the bills will be forwarded to you in due course. Any further incidents of damage, noise or other disturbances from your apartment will jeopardize your tenancy here at Douglass Park. _________________________________________________________________________

First of all, no damage or vandalism was caused by our apartment. Second of all, whoever pulled the fire alarm was not our "guest". A lot of drunk people showed up to our place and we told them to leave, so I assume they pulled the fire alarm in anger. We received no noise complaints that particular night. Also the little clause he included from the lease agreement says nothing about pulling a fire alarm, just about damaging property. They have a guest list downstairs where people had to sign in and there were 4 people signed to our apartment. Does anyone know how much is costs for the firealarm charges?

Thanks a lot I hope someone can help me...

 

[COlandlord]

When an alarm is pulled it does cause damage and must be reset by a licensed alarm company.In addition, in some cities fire codes state that until the fire alarm is active again a property is required to be on 24 hour fire watch resulting in additional fees.

If you had a party and a guest (univited or not) pulled the alarm...you are responsbile. It would be too easy for residents to claim "we told them to leave" everytime damage happened. In the future, refrain from having parties.

 

[Soccerdude3888]

Its not that we told them to leave its that they showed up at our door, were not let into the party, and pulled the fire alarm. What constitutes the fact that they were guests in our apartment?? Say they stopped by 3 apartments in their stay in our apartment building does that mean the three apartments split the costs of the fire alarm? If their cameras are so ****ty that you cannot tell if the person who pulled it is a boy or a girl how are we supposed to charge the right person?

 

[ecmst12]

They were there to see you, somehow they had your address and knew you were having a party.

 

[Cvillecpm]

Hooray for your LANDLORD and YOU need better friends or YOU need to party other than your landlord's property.

This is how the "grown up" do it!!