Question: I moved in my house one week ago. The house is equipped with an alarm
system left by the previous owner. Just before I moved in, I tested
the system a few times and the system worked for only two days and
died. A few days ago, I received an invoice from the local police,
requesting me to pay 100 CND for the police response to an
unregistered alarm and 10 CND for annual alrm registration fee. I was
not aware of that any police once came to my house after I got my key
to the house. I have therefore the following questions:
1. If a home alarm system has to be registered with the local police?
Which law governs this?
2. If a home alarm system has been registered with the local police,
the house owner still has to pay the police for the police's response
to the alarm every time?
3. If a alarm system is monitored with a security company, does this
alarm still need to be registered with the local police?
Answer:Uhmmm..... I think there is something amiss here. If you moved into an
existing home with an alarm system, and you triggered it, and the police
responded as it seems they did, then clearly this system was not
disconnected properly as it should have been. Either the previous owner
neglected to advise the monitoring company (likely), or the monitoring
station neglected to disconnect the service (far less likely), but
regardless, the system should have been disconnected properly prior to your
actually moving in (station advised, dialers turned off)
Also the question arises, how did you actually "test" the system. If you
tested it just before you moved in, while the previous owner still had
possession, then it could very well have still been connected to the
monitoring centre. Did you call the station and put it on test, or simply
set the alarm off without advising anyone ? I have seen this happen a few
times, and it always seems the previous owner neglected to do what should
have been done (since they are at the time of the move overwhelmed with
things to do and remember, and the alarm is invariably the last of their
worries...)
I don't know Toronto's bylaws regarding alarm systems, but perhaps Robert
Skinner can answer your questions (hey Bob you there?)
