Help with security

[camryguy]

Hello again, This group has answered my questions before and I am sure it will again. This one is for my father however. In 1997, he built a house about 15 mins from where he is currently living. However, the house has still never been completed. No one has ever lived in it and has yet to have had the experience of being enjoyed. This may sound odd, which it is, but when money gets tight and the effort to continue becomes sparse, you get what I would call an abandoned house. Now to the point. Earlier this afternoon, I took a drive up to the house just to check up on the place and enjoy the day by the beach. As I approached the house, I noticed that all of the temporary window coverings that were in the windows had been removed. Thinking it was my father, I continued into the house without a second thought. I opened the door and walked into a war zone. Furniture had been tipped over, and damaged, boxes had been rummaged through, drawers were open, piles of wood were scattered everywhere, etc. I couldn't believe my eyes. The house, although not yet finished is stuffed full of furniture and boxes from 2 grandparents houses who have died. Everything was either touched, damaged or broken. They even had a dog with them, which left us a little present in the master bedroom. I know i'm going to get put through the ringer from people here saying that I should be there more often, etc etc, but with work and other commitments it honestly gets forgotten. The house does have a working motion senor light over the basement door, deadbolt locks on every single door, security tabs on every window which are activated and a large street light purposely installed right in front of the house. I have yet to discover a point of entry or a sign of how they are getting access to the house. No door was forced, no window broken, nothing. How hard is it to pick a lock? These locks are all Weisers and are all keyed so that each lock has a specific key, but then there is also a master which will open every door. The same thing happened last summer, minus the damage and that was when all the locks were installed.

Now finally my question. Does anyone know of any security camera that will only take videos if movement is detected? and if so, how do I get this set up so that it is wireless. I don't want to be pulling wires through this house. I also want a recorder to record any anything the camera may catch. Anyone know of anything that may help that is also budget friendly. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Anyone wishing to comment negatively, can save it for another thread. Thanks in advance

[The Daring Dufas]

Here's a link to one of my suppliers:

Many stand alone IP cameras and most DVR's Digital Video Recorders for security purposes have a motion detection option. Anything moving in a specific area or the whole field of view can be detected by the equipment, this saves space on the hard drive. Many DVR units and of course the IP cameras can be monitored via The Internet. I've had very good service from Supercircuits.

TDD

[ransley]

If nothing was broken to get entry someone has a key or knows how to pick locks. Did anybody ever get a key to work on the house, who installed the locks. What is an activated security tab on a window? A monitored alarm system is cheap , maybe 35$ a month and would have notified the police. New locks are a must, Medico are unpickable as are combination non electric pushbutton locks, I use both and the comibination locks can be purchased from about 120$ and up. www.supercurcui= ts.com sells just about everything to do with video surveylance and recording. So damage wasnt that bad , now upgrade, you can do locks and video recording this week if you get started now.

[bud--]

Almost all of the usual door locks can be "bumped". Never tried it, but it is not supposed to take much skill. Try "bumping" at Wikipedia for some initial information. One method that can reduce bumping is to cut one position on the key lower than the lowest standard cut. Alt.locksmithing has had some threads on resisting bumping.

[Evan]

What aspects of the house are not completed... Built it in 1997 but "never finished"... Sounds to me like you have a permitting issue... You can't "use" a house for any purposes until you have had your final inspection and a certificate of occupancy issued...

You have power to the property... Why not get a phone line and install an alarm system... Last summer should have been a warning sign -- you should have properly secured the property at that time and not waited for an escalation like this...

I assume you found one or more doors unlocked when you entered and found the mess... Someone may have inadvertently left one of the multitude of doors unlocked... If all the doors were locked then the raiding party did not enter through a door as they would not have taken the time to lock the door when they left and would have left it unlocked to facilitate easier entry the next time they decided to "visit"...

As far as abandoned properties go, there are many many ways in which to gain entry that don't involve playing with the doors... If you are not going to monitor the property with proper frequency or install an alarm, I would securely board it up and treat it like legitimately abandoned property... If you are not certain how to do this correctly inquire with your local fire department, they will have information on how to do this adequately in a standardized way which will not impede access too much in a fire that public safety employees are familiar with and know how to dismantle...

~~ Evan

[camryguy]

There is no permitting issue. The house simply wasn't completed because of financial issues. As I said, no one has ever lived in the house. All permits are still open and the final inspection has yet to conclude. AS for not done, the house is water tight and sealed. All doors and windows are installed, roof tight and exterior completed. It has been wired, plumbed, and dry walled, but the floors aren't installed and all bathrooms and the kitchen are not finished. My guess to point of entry is the basement door. I was at the house again today, and all windows were locked and shut, and all doors were locked. I checked the locks for any tampering or scratches on them and the only one with any significant wear was the basement door. The rest were untouched. AS for boarding up the windows, I don't think that my father will go for it. The house has a brick exterior and any nails or screws would damage the bricks or mortar holding them together. One more thing, when I found the house yesterday, all of the doors were locked. Not one single one was left open, weird? I say yes.

[Oren]

Another post mentioned "bump" keys. Recently, there are stories of people moving into vacant foreclosed homes, take up occupancy and go some time before being discovered.

What does your insurance company say?

[Evan]

Hello... Umm... When an abandoned property is sealed up the boards are often only caulked to the trim around the openings, the plywood panels are held in place by means of 2x4 lumber beneath the plywood and a longer one inside the protected space secured in a plywood and 2x4 sandwich with carriage bolts accessible from the inside only...

And yes, there is a permitting issue... You are using the structure for STORAGE of materials not related to the construction process which means you are occupying it without having the final inspection and certificate of occupancy... You should look at the fine print on the building permits, they are usually only valid for a fixed period of time unless you apply for an extension and pay additional fees, if your request for an extension is granted...

~~ Evan

[gwandsh]

Not to hijack the thread, but I have a question regarding equipment like this.

I have a remote weekend place that does not have a phone line or any method to send a signal to a monitoring service. What I had hoped to find was a little device like a nanny-cam that would be motion activated and then record for 5-10 minutes to an internal card (or similar non-disc storage).

The intent is that if somebody breaks in when the camera is "waiting", it will record enough to identify and prosecute the perps. Of course I will need to hide it somewhere, so the lens will have to be small.

Ideas?

[aemeijers]

A hunter 'trail cam' used for scouting deer would do the trick, if you can figure a way to attach it to the house, and disguise what it is. (They are designed to strap around trees.) the house. Some even have an infrared flash built in. They take stills, though, not video.

[ransley]

Medico and button combination can`t be bumped.

[ransley]

I have one, its hidden in a appliance, www.supercircuts/com has them in radios, clocks, plants etc etc.

[Oren]

Medico is a good key. Used in offices/ buildings. They have a special cut - three ways. Good for security and keeps the patients out of the medicine cabinet.

Corbin was another good brand office key.

[camryguy]

Listen Evan, I didn't ask if I had an issue with Permitting and as far as I am concerned that is non of your business. I asked if there were any budget friendly ways to keep surveillance on the property. I'm not about to cover every single window and door with plywood as mentioned above. Thank you for your input, but some of the information given, was not required nor requested.

[camryguy]

You make some good points. My father installed the locks himself last summer new, so my guess is they are being picked. Yes keys were given out to construction workers, but those locks have been replaced as mentioned previously. he is thinking of installing a cheaper security system that will notify the police via phone line. The only problem is the closest police station is 15 mins away, so a silent alarm would be optimal. When the windows were purchased there were several accessories you could get with them, one such accessory is a little plastic tab that when engaged will only allow the window to open 4 inches. ( These windows are double hung, not casement). Its a great little feature that really works. The windows are made by kohler if that helps any.

[Evan]

Your locks are not being picked... Someone who picked your locks would not have trashed the place, they would have gone' through your stuff, stole what they wanted and left it looking like no one had ever been there...

You had a bunch of rowdy high-schoolers who have a car who might have used a bump key if they are advanced... It is way more likely that you or your dad messed up and left something unlocked...

I still think that there is some opening you are not checking, like an attic vent or something that is being used to gain entry because you are so convinced it has to be the doors that you aren't even seriously checking anything else...

An alarm system is probably your only way to do what you want, but you are going to have to get one that is centrally monitored by the alarm company so that they notify you and your dad in addition to calling the police every time the alarm is tripped...

You think that 15 minute away from the police station is really 15 minutes away ? At the speed you can drive legally you have a point, but the police can and do drive much faster than normal vehicles are allowed to when they are responding to an emergency call...

As to your other posting, you might not think the lack of a valid occupancy permit is relevant, but you will find out more about that if another break-in occurs and you actually report it to the police... When they come out to take the report and investigate the "not finished" house will raise a red flag to them and they will check that out...

~~ Evan

[krw]

Yep. Medico pins have to not only be the right height but the proper rotation to turn the cylinder.

[Evan]

I think you mean Medeco locks...

They are good but not impenetrable...

~~ Evan

[The Daring Dufas]

Here's something that may scare away the do-bads:

I built one years ago with a recording of a friend's 170lb Malamute bark slowed down until it sounded like a Lion. Played through 15" woofers (no pun), you could feel the sound in your chest. It rattled the windows and any miscreants casing the joint.

TDD

[ransley]

Google and view video at Utube on """Lock Bumping"" you wont ever look at locks the same way again, anybody can "bump" a lock except Medico and push button locks. I found a good non battery brand for

120$ and use them commercially if yr interested. Medico are on the White House and most any bank or secure location but very very pricey. Bumping is the "new thing" An alarm might take 5-15 minutes for a response, a camera from Soper Circuits can catch the Neighbor you know and now trust.