burgular alarm had involuntary activated

[coloumb]

Would be interested in opinions in this case. A month or so ago I got a call from my tenant explaining that the alarm had involuntary activated in a flat I let (I had it fitted when I lived in flat and decommissioned but left on when I moved out to rent the place). Unfortunately by then she had let a neighbour in who unscrewed the bell box and dumped the sounder in a bucket of water to silence it. It would have been pretty easy to talk my tenant though turning it off by pulling the fuse but it was too late by then. Of course, neither of them wants to pay for the repair @ £300 (it's an ADT alarm).

I understand my options are -

1. Issue a small claims to both of them and take it to court to recover the costs.
2. Serve notice on the tenant and recover the money through my deposit protection scheme.

I'm not too fussed about service notice to quit on my tenant as we had the place valued recently and we could get more for it plus she is generally not looking after the place. I've also heard that the small claims system is a waste of time and even if I won it doesn't mean I would get the money. I'm still just really annoyed that my neighbour thinks he can get away with this kind of, well, basically, yobbish behaviour.

[Terry_Baker]

I would do what you said.

[westminster]

I understand my options are -

1. Issue a small claims to both of them and take it to court to recover the costs.
2. Serve notice on the tenant and recover the money through my deposit protection scheme.
1. Presumably the tenancy contract will make T liable for damage caused by invited guests. I doubt you'd have a claim against the neighbour.

2. What, evict the T just in order to get £300 NOW in order to repair an alarm that the T doesn't even use? Why not just wait till the tenancy ends? Either way, you will need evidence that the alarm was undamaged at the start of the tenancy, usually in the form of a check-in inventory signed by T.


I've also heard that the small claims system is a waste of time and even if I won it doesn't mean I would get the money.
If that's how you feel about it, then don't bother. But many people successfully obtain and enforce CCJs.