Re: avoiding being "locked out"

["Bob Worthy" <securinc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<thesatguy1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:QOYQe.12$Yc6.5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> It's called theft by conversion.  If you deny the legal owner of the
> property the use and benefit of it thats theft.  In these cases the theft
> converts someone else's property to the use and benefit of the monitoring
> company and prevents the legal owner from using it.
> Every state has such a law.

I knew it had to be some where, somehow. It isn't in the licensing laws but
sounds like it is a "fair trade act" type of thing and probably falls under
the AG's office. I often wondered that it might be in the real estate laws,
transfer of property, etc. I will have to look at it here alot closer. The
reason I ask, is because, I just ran across a situation where one of my
customers bought a new home and the panel, installed during contruction, was
already locked and there was no Association agreement. Brand new home, no
one has ever lived in it. I called the builder, who was no help naturally,
and the owner of the sercurity company. He has locked out all of the homes.
His response was, "You know the cost of putting in these systems and he was
tired of losing out on the monitoring. If I wanted the account, change the
equipment." My response was, "Wouldn't it be easier to just charge for your
system instead of giving it away up front." I really don't debate this issue
with these guys, but they are doing things Bass ackwards. Start charging the
builders for a fair days work and the dealer won't have to start out on the
wrong foot with a potential client who will tell everyone what a jerk the
dealer is because they have been left without a choice. The whole
neighborhood will know it before the dealer gets in the door simply because
the dealer chose to give it away up front. I question this philosophy but to
each their own. If I can find this law or what pertains to this type of
dealing, it gets passed on to those who wish to make wise business decisions
before they find themselves in legal action. Many times, good dealers face
legal action simply because they were not aware there was a violation.
Thanks for the info. By the way, I am not against locking out panels when
the feature is used for what it was intended for and also will gladly make
the default process part of my agreement. It is just good business.

Bob W.