Atlanta PD CryWolf Revenue Scam? (Buckhead: apartment, renter, tenants)

[IntentionsRGood]

I installed ADT alarms throughout my Buckhead apartment in August, including sensors on windows and doors. I tried to register my address online but I couldn't proceed because my apartment address was already registered.

In September, one of the sensors went off due to a spider (or something) crawling across the sensor. ADT called my cell phone, but I ran out the front door and left my phone upstairs. A cop came by 12 minutes later and walked around my apartment. He gave me the all clear and left. ADT called again and this time I answered. They said 12 minutes was an unusually long time for police response in Buckhead.

About 3 weeks later, I received a letter from Atlanta CryWolf demanding $150 for having an unregistered alarm. I called the number and told them the alarm was already registered. They said, "Ah, yes, but not in your name." So I mailed the $150 check to the PO Box on the demand letter in September.

A month later, I receive another demand letter - this time for $150 plus a late fee of $75. So, just to avoid the headache, I mailed the $225 to the PO Box on the letter.

On Nov. 13, I receive another demand letter for another $150. So I go online to check my bank statement, and sure enough, the check that I previously sent was cashed a day after the due date. That is an old trick by utility companies to charge late fees. But I didn't know a private company that doesn't even provide a service could do the same thing.

What do I do now? I'm not a homeowner so I don't pay property taxes, and I can't complain to my city council. Do I send another check for $150 for a fine that I have already paid? They're into me for $375 already.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by IntentionsRGood

I installed ADT alarms throughout my Buckhead apartment in August, including sensors on windows and doors. I tried to register my address online but I couldn't proceed because my apartment address was already registered.

In September, one of the sensors went off due to a spider (or something) crawling across the sensor. ADT called my cell phone, but I ran out the front door and left my phone upstairs. A cop came by 12 minutes later and walked around my apartment. He gave me the all clear and left. ADT called again and this time I answered. They said 12 minutes was an unusually long time for police response in Buckhead.

About 3 weeks later, I received a letter from Atlanta CryWolf demanding $150 for having an unregistered alarm. I called the number and told them the alarm was already registered. They said, "Ah, yes, but not in your name." So I mailed the $150 check to the PO Box on the demand letter in September.

A month later, I receive another demand letter - this time for $150 plus a late fee of $75. So, just to avoid the headache, I mailed the $225 to the PO Box on the letter.

On Nov. 13, I receive another demand letter for another $150. So I go online to check my bank statement, and sure enough, the check that I previously sent was cashed a day after the due date. That is an old trick by utility companies to charge late fees. But I didn't know a private company that doesn't even provide a service could do the same thing.

What do I do now? I'm not a homeowner so I don't pay property taxes, and I can't complain to my city council. Do I send another check for $150 for a fine that I have already paid? They're into me for $375 already.

The crywolf is to prevent sending cops and wasting money and time of false alarms.

[red92s]

Have you tried calling them?

[AtlJan]

You can try calling them if you can show that the two charges were for the same false alarm. I had a problem last year with a low alarm battery and several false alarms in a two day period. The fine ratchets up exponentially for every false alarm. I am now at a $500 fee per false alarm. It is a total scam and my family is less safe because of it.

In a sense, you do pay property taxes through your rent--the property owner pays the tax and passes it along to you as a portion of your rent. Do not let being a renter prevent you for standing up for yourself. The city needs property owners--and property owners need tenants.

[red92s]

Originally Posted by AtlJan

You can try calling them if you can show that the two charges were for the same false alarm. I had a problem last year with a low alarm battery and several false alarms in a two day period. The fine ratchets up exponentially for every false alarm. I am now at a $500 fee per false alarm. It is a total scam and my family is less safe because of it.

In a sense, you do pay property taxes through your rent--the property owner pays the tax and passes it along to you as a portion of your rent. Do not let being a renter prevent you for standing up for yourself. The city needs property owners--and property owners need tenants.

He got hit with a fine for an unregistered alarm, not a false alarm.

[ElleKaye]

I have gotten hit with the false alarm fees but not unregistered alarm fees.

Mine is through Comcast, and I did not know I needed to register it. It never crossed my mind to ask about whether I needed to something that I did not even know was a thing. I know that ignorance of the law is not an excuse but I think I wore the person down because while polite, I would not stop making my point.

Now, the false alarm fines on the other hand, I just went ahead and paid even though were truly due to something weird. This was either last fall or earlier this year in the winter - I was at home, and the alarm did not go off. A policeman showed up at the door, he walked through the house, and said sometimes systems will give off false alarms during inclement weather. OK fine. Around two hours later, another one showed up (still no alarm mind you) because he had gotten a call. I immediately called Comcast to schedule an appointment for someone to come check the system. Months later in August, I got a bill from the city for two false alarms.

Now, under normal circumstances, I'm kind of scrappy and would have fought it, but it just wasn't worth the level of effort it would take me to clearly remember who said what exactly when. In your case OP, I would fight it because you could never have registered yours if they did not allow you to because the location was already registered to someone else.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by AtlJan

You can try calling them if you can show that the two charges were for the same false alarm. I had a problem last year with a low alarm battery and several false alarms in a two day period. The fine ratchets up exponentially for every false alarm. I am now at a $500 fee per false alarm. It is a total scam and my family is less safe because of it.

We had that same exact situation and it makes me mad. There's no way I could have know about the problem with the alarm system until after the fact.

In any event I was okay with paying the fines ($50 the first time and $100 the next, I think). But $500 is way too much.

Although I promptly had the alarm repaired I still feel like we are living on pins and needles.

[IntentionsRGood]

Thank you all for your advice and responses! I called them and they said the extra fines were a mistake. I think my online dispute on their website had something to do with it. @ AtlJan, it is a total scam. There is no way to prevent a spider from taking a stroll across a sensor. I only have one sensor in the basement. The sensor upstairs is disabled to prevent false alarms. @ array, I too am on pins and needles worrying about the next false alarm that is no fault of my own. @ red92s, I'm a she.