Break In
 

:frown:
Hi all,

Unfortunatly our Duplex was broken into over the weekend ...

TV, HiFi, microwave, kettle, toaster, blender, hairdryer, Knives, toolbox, drill, wine, spirits and most bizarrely beer from the fridge.

We were not trashed, so I can thankful for this .. perhaps more than one apartment was targeted so check your properties (or ask your management company to do so ..).

Not very nice ..

AlandEve

Re: Break In
 

How dreadful :( - are you a ground floor property?

Sharon

Re: Break In
 

So sorry to hear that.

How did they get in? At what sort of time?

Steve

Re: Break In
 

We are not a ground floor property, so either a ladder was used to access the balcony or someone was good at gymnastics...

How they entered .. i dont want to post this on a public board (for obvious reasons), so I will send a PM to any registered user who wants to know.

AlandEve

Re: Break In
 

Perhaps they have been reading your recent posts, IE, just returned from 2 weeks, etc etc.

I have lost count of the times when I was a mod that I warned people about too much information on an open forum (anyone can read it).
Infact one of the threads was closed because of it.

Re: Break In
 

We were broken into while we were in London visiting my Mum who has since died.

I hated coming into the house, it felt as if the house had been raped.

We have since got an Alarm, but it still feels strange, & I am still very nervous.

I think I know who did it.

Wendy x

Re: Break In
 

AlandEve
Its clearly upsetting to have happen. It happened in reverse to us some years ago. Our home was broken into after we were away and it takes time to recover (especially at home!). I hope you have Insurance and it pays up. I would like to know how you think they got in to see if there are lessons for us.
George & Rosalia

Re: Break In
 

I've been reading the CE thread for quite a few years now and it never ceases to amaze how many dwellings I could have emptied if I was in the area, and was in the burglary profession. I would have the full address and be Safe in the knowledge that the property was.
1. Unoccupied.
2. Had no alarm, rejas etc. (due to the requests on where to buy them)
3. Had just been filled with Ikeas finest fixtures and fittings:o

On a further note some in that thread obviously use their real names and state which town in the UK they are from. How hard would it be to ask around town pubs, shops etc if anyone knew Janet & john for example who have bought a property at costa Esuri as you were trying to trace them?

A bit of a long shot possibly depending on where they live. But You would know when they were in Spain and be safe to empty the UK house:eek:;)

Re: Break In
 

Sorry to hear the news... always make sure you double lock your doors as it is easy to go in through the front door if it hasnt been double locked, just ask any locksmith and he will get in your apartment in 1 minute and not by drilling it out...

Re: Break In
 

Over many years I've had experiences of break ins from North to South of Europe.
Actually worse in the North, where properties are extremely remote and the police are even more remote and also very lax.
The first is the worst for a number of reasons,less prepared, thinking it only happens to others,leaving valuable and personal items in the property that could have been secure elsewhere and also the intrusion of privacy.
Whilst my properties are as well protected and alarmed as far as possible, in the case of remote locations, even this isnt a great help if left unoccupied.
Before leaving, I always assume the almost worst possible senario and prepare accordingly, leaving absolutely nothing of much value in the property.
Less expensive every day items of little value are quite easily covered by the insurance.
In recent years I have also avoided buying any large items of great value that could be a headache if left behind, being difficult to easily move elsewhere.
Having said all that, possibly the worst senario is when intruders set fire to houses before leaving, which I have seen happen a few times in Spain.
However amazingly enough,due to their almost all concrete type construction, the basic structures survived very well and were back in use within weeks, or months at the most.
In more recent times I always try to leave family or friends in the property, if leaving for a longish period.
Even if they mess things up a bit, there is no longer anything of value to worry about and an even less likely chance of a break in.

Re: Break In
 

The front doors are not the problem, they are secure enough. The weak spots are the windows and terrace doors because they have or plastic shutters or French wooden doors which can easily be removed or smashed to bits, same goes for the windows. The only solution I see is to place security bars at the windows and a door grill at the terrace doors. (they are called rejas). Drive through Ayamonte town and you´ll see that all the houses have them. (And they´re not always ugly, rejas can be made up in all sorts of designs.)

Re: Break In
 

Metal grills are advisable, but if not of a particular design and especially well installed, the thieves have a very quick and simple way of dealing with them, as I once found out to my cost.

Re: Break In
 

I thought that the Duplexs have a secure gated compound and security guards.

Regards

Dave

Re: Break In
 

Low paid Security Guards have been involved with many break-ins on the CDS. Cleaners who make copies of keys too!

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Security guards are well known for being involved in break ins.
One even nicked my car from beside the community entrance one night.
It was a complete write off when it eventually turned up.........:thumbdown:

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Car jack ?

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I always find this amusing, in Spain rejas yet if you drive into Portugal the rejas didisappear
:confused::confused:

Re: Break In
 

Yes, that is one of two common simple methods.

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I noticed that in the poorer parts of Portugal.
Maybe the poor devils have nowt worth nicking.

Re: Break In
 

Maybe I've been fortunate in the places I've visited, but you don't see these on the north coast in Cantabria and Asturias either. There again the locals claim there isn't any crime - I do know people in the villages often go out with the door unlocked.

Re: Break In
 

It is weird, isn´t it?

But I think that thieves and such do realize that in this area are about 15.000 holiday apartments which are not being occupied over the wintermonths do have a tv set, dvd player, perhaps a sky-decoder and a stereoset inside them........or even beer in the fridge!

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Were I live the majority of homes are Spanish and are occupied full time, but they all have rejas.

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I was told that rejas were originally so that in the hot months you can leave windows open all the time

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If you did it here you would inherit a few cats. lol

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here too:D

maybe that's why persianas were invented

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I´m considering to have them on my car......:D

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Just to keep you updated ... 7 Apartments (and counting) have been hit ...
same pattern.. TV, HiFi etc....

Re: Break In
 

Manzana 1, top floor

We were broken into on Sunday evening, they tried to drill lock on door but unsuccessful so used crow bar to pull out brick work on utility, taken microwave, tv, dvd and what else I dont know until I get out to Spain, surely somebody must have seen something as they would need a van surely to break into 7 homes........ how do they get in through the gates too? anybody had an alarm fitted to their apartments?

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come on ... Burglar Bill is waiting for your answers. :eek::eek:

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I see that you havent changed one bit........... got out of bed on the wrong side AGAIN ! ! ! ! With regard to teh alarms people would surely reply with a private message to me.

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It`s no skin off my nose, but I have always warned people about posting their address and when they are there or not.
Classic example of how not to post, come on read your post, it`s an invitation to them.

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Know of a couple more that have been hit.....
Usual stuff, TV, DVD, microwave, etc

Re: Break In
 

he's right - a bit of digging around the internet could come up with your address or anyone else's for that matter

I've done it several times for 'I'm looking for.........' type posts


- and so many are saying things like - 'I'll be there in October' or 'just come back from 2 lovely weeks in our apartment, manzana 1 top floor' - it's like an open invitation

just from this forum I know how many apartments are in your block, and roughly your address - I don't know Ayamonte - never been there - but if I did I could probably work out which is yours

Re: Break In
 

8 Apartments and counting .. looks like an inside job ....

Police now showing interest .. lets hope for a fast result...

AlandEve

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It's jdr and lynnxa - he's the one with the striped T-shirt and a big bag marked SWAG.:thumbup::thumbup:

Re: Break In
 

of course...............;) I've been waiting for that:lol:



what am I wearing?


seriously, I know it's horrible be broken into

I once caught a thief climbing into a flat I lived in - idiot had picked 'trainee management digs' (think student digs, except we could afford more booze)

not much to nick, and 8 of us there to scare him off

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I spoke to my managing agent and she told me all the burglaries were on one manzana (I won't mention the number on this site) and the guy doing it lives there! Don't know if that can be verified?

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Not quite true .. 1 of the 8 apartments was on another Manzana.. we have our suspicions ... lets hope the local police find who ever is responsible..

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Not just the poorer parts, I've been all over and you very rarely see them anywhere. Drive across the border to Vila Real and you'll notice that nobody has them, not even the ones with anything "worth nicking"

Re: Break In
 

Just in case anyone worked out where our place is - I have hardened up the security. We have extra security locks replacements on the main doors - you need a smart card to get a copy made! - Added new tower bolts to the casement shutters to prevent them being lifted from their hinges and fitted a Cat3 (hardened steel) hasp and padlock bolted into the ground on the roller shutters. I know they won't prevent the determined burglar but should deter the opportunist. Cost around 150Euros - but worth it for the peace of mind.