Anyone Worried About Burglary while away?

[lbgraves]

One of the things that concerns me is the number of people that place their home address on their luggage. It wouldn't take a great deal of imagination/organization to have a baggage handler, cabbie, bus driver conspire with a person in a specific city to relay information about those away from home. We always have someone stay in our place while gone, and odd thing about our street is there are lots of folks home during the day on-and-off, self included.

What is even worse than this are the people who scour the papers for obits and break into the house of the deceased during the service. You should always have someone at the house during the service.

 

[ohiominnie]

but more concerned about a water pipe breaking than a burglary.

Ah, yes. And that is why we turn off the main water line and drain pipes when we are away.

 

[jlowejd5]

We're in a condo right now. They could sneak in, steal everything we've got, and other than my computer and cd/dvd collection, I'm out like $40.

I spent it all on Disney cruises...

 

[DisneyElf]

Luckily - we have my nephew & neice living at home (now 25 & 23) so we have built in protection. Plus - we have family stop by and check the house, and let our neighbors know too! We also have a dog sitter that stops by at lunchtime to put the dogs in the puppy yard.

We also have 4 very loud dogs, and the one time everyone left on a family trip to CA - we had the dog sitter stay at the house.

 

[TumFamily]

By the way, the person that did it was a member of my family. Someone whom I trusted never to hurt me that way. Someone that I loved. Someone that I still love.[/QUOTE]

That can only make it worse. To trust and love someone and have them disappoint and let you down can be heartbreaking. But the fact that you say you still love them, shows that you are a good kind-loving forgiving person and in the end you will always land on TOP!!! Deb

 

[Aisling]

I live on a block with so many busy-bodies who are always minding everyone else's business, that no one can come NEAR my house without at least 5 people poking their noses out their doors to see what's going on.
My son got locked out of our house and climbed in through the basement window. Half a minute later, the police were at my door, and my poor son was given a strong lecture on doing something like that. And DH gave ME an even stronger lecture about leaving the basement windows unlocked!

 

[cristit14]

If you've got no one to pick up mail have the P.O. just hold it and cancel the paper. A paper in the driveway tells people that you aren't home. Of course in my neighborhood most are just too lazy to pick it up!

My in-laws neighbors stopped their paper when they were gone on vacation and their house got robbed by the paperboy. This was many years ago when it actually was a kid delivering the paper. He ended up feeling guilty and turned himself in, but you never know.

 

[aprilgail2]

My in-laws neighbors stopped their paper when they were gone on vacation and their house got robbed by the paperboy. This was many years ago when it actually was a kid delivering the paper. He ended up feeling guilty and turned himself in, but you never know.

Same thing can happen with anyone at the post office...I know that when you put a hold on your mail they have your "slot" taped off so the mailman sorting it can see you have a hold on your mail. I just have a neighbor pick it up if my brother can't stay here and if we go in teh winter I am sure to havea neighbor stop in every day to make sure everything is ok inside and the heat is working etc....we do the same for them when they are away...we havea group of 4 or 5 neighbors and we all have keys to each others houses.

 

[scrapperjill]

Were lucky enough to have alot of family members living close by..so we always have a good house sitter come over anytime were out of town. Not so much for the house...but our dogs get soooo lonely. when were gone. Not only that...but we have alot of neighbors who really watch out for one another. It's nice living in such a friendly neighborhood...everyone really pulls together and helps out with everything....including watching for strangersm odd behavior or things that are just out of place.

 

[mist_e_rose2002]

I am putting my dog on the front porch and having my friends and family driving by daily. Of course, my landlord is also going to be renovating my house while I am gone, so I have added security.

 

[TammyC]

DisneyBill--we always put my husband's work address on our luggage tags for the very reasons you stated!

This is a good idea that I had never really thought about. But I assume that you need still need to have your name on the bags (even with a different address). With a name and city, I think the home address could be found easily.

Also love the baby monitor idea. I may have to try this out.

Tammy

 

[DisneyLovingMama]

We're in a condo right now. They could sneak in, steal everything we've got, and other than my computer and cd/dvd collection, I'm out like $40.

I spent it all on Disney cruises...

Just a quick note - I used to think like that, until my friend's first apartment was robbed. Took all her identifying information, drained her accounts and stole her identity. It took years to recover. Plus, even though she had junky stuff, replacing it all was much more expensive. They ruined her couches and her bed - probably because she didn't have much they could pawn off.

 

[invaderzim]

We're never worried because we have house/dog sitters come and stay for the whole time. Plus we have extremely overprotective neighbors on both sides who notice everything going on!

 

[marylee15]

We had a friend come every day took in the newspaper, mail checked the heat etc, but last year our friends who go to St. Marteen every year were gone one day when another friend went to check on their house the living room ceiling was on the floor!!!! He called my DH and we just could not believe the damage in one day. Another friend found their homeowners policy contacted their agent and did as much as could be done until the homeowners returned two weeks later. The cleanup was well underway and they had to start making decisions about reconstruction. They were out of their house for six months and when the plumber came to check which pipe it was it was a tiny pin hole it was awful. No one ever called them on their vacation because we all knew there was nothing they could do, it really taught me a lesson though leave your heat on high enough. They now have a gorgeous new kitchen and a totally redone house but they were devastated at first.