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QUESTION:  DVR USED AS EVIDENCE
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Ken
    I enjoy reading your newsletter.  I have a question about DVR recordings.  I  have a customer that purchases DVR’s that have  hot swappable hard drives.  These are Hard drives that are easily removed and replaced.  He says he purchases these machines because some courts want the original hard drives to be used as admissible evidence.  I was under the impression that copies to USB drives are admissible.  What is  the correct way?
Tom
Christy Industries Inc
Brooklyn NY 
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RESPONSE
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    I would say it depends on the court and case. criminal will have different standard than civil.  I can't imagine your customer is so involved; probably never had a case.  How recorded, maintained and copied will be the issue at trial.  
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VIVINT ACCUSES THE ALARM GUYS OF FOUL PLAY
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    Did you catch the staff article at SSI where Vivint customer claimed to be mislead by The Alarm Guys to switch service?  Here is the link and part of article:    http://www.securitysales.com/article/the_alarm_guys_accused_of_duping_vivint_customer_to_switch_security_service?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=enewsthursday
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By SSI Staff · February 5, 2015
SAN LORENZO, Calif. — A California woman is claiming a representative for the security firm The Alarm Guys tricked her into paying bills from two separate alarm companies every month.  Joyce Montez said a man knocked on her door, stating that he was from “The Alarm Company” to check her security alarm system. Montez assumed the man represented her security company, Vivint ...
The representative allegedly told Montez that his firm was taking over Vivint, and thus needed to change out her alarm. Believing that The Alarm Guys, a Brentwood, Calif.-based firm, had acquired Vivint, Montez allowed the technician to install a new alarm panel, and place new signs.
Montez also signed a five-year contract with The Alarm Guys.
The woman says that the alarm sales rep wrote a note to her current provider, stating that Montez was canceling her service, which she later signed.
It wasn’t her daughter contacted Vivint that Montez realized that she had been duped.
Montez attempted to cancel her contract with The Alarm Guys: however, the company said it would cost her $2,200....
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RESPONSE
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    Hmmmm.  What happened to "what's good for the goose is good for the gander?"
Though, this isn't good for alarm company salesperson perception.
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continuing service after foreclosure
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Ken,
    The bank has foreclosed (I have only the verbal word of the property management) .  The property was sold at auction yesterday and the closing is within 45 days.  The panel is not communicating (Probably the phone line service was terminated) and is showing TROUBLE.
    The property management was supplied a new contract to sign as has not so far; I have notified the local AHJ that the system is not reporting and is no longer monitored by us (they don’t seem to care much).
    QUESTION: Assuming the property ownership is actually transferred away from the signer of the contract, am I now totally off the hook at this point?  Please say yes, I hate this damn property…
PM
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RESPONSE
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    As Larry the Cable Guy would say, "you're done".  Terminate all service, send a letter if you have an extra stamp around.  If you can access the panel put "no alarm service" on the keypad.  They want service then whoever is in control has to sign a contract.
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QUESTION: DIVORCED HUSBAND AND WIFE SIGNING
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Ken
Thanks for the great information you provide.  Have a client I am signing up right now and the x husband called me stating his x wife needs their old alarm system hooked back up. They don't live together but still have same last name.  He is paying for new panel etc and monitoring. Guessing they are currently on good terms.
    Just to be safe I sent an agreement to both of them, each with both names on listed. They live in separate locations and each will sign their name to their agreement.  Monitoring term is 3 years, if one cancels am I safe trying to recoup 75% of remaining balance of my monthly monitoring fee?
She is really successful and dont understand the whole deal. But I do camera work for her husband's business.  I sent an agreement to both and wanted each to sign the agreement I sent them.   Am I safe with that (2 agreements for same property) or do they both have to sign the same agreement.
Deren 
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RESPONSE
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    Seems like your deal is that x husband pays the bills and x wife is the end user.  They both have to sign the contract.  You'll only be able to go after the husband if he stops paying.  The wife isn't agreeing to pay you.  Unless, you insist on both being joint on the obligation to pay.  They can sign separate contract forms since one is the payor and the other the end user who is not agreeing to pay.
    I don't see why you are getting in the middle of this unless the husband's business account is worth the aggravation.  I also don't think you should be concerned with the "collection" end; more important is the "defense" protective provisions the contract contains.  You may also want to cover in advance the issue of who you are to take instruction from for the alarm service, because the wife is going to call to change the code and not allow the x husband access to that code information, or the husband is going to call and tell you to terminate services.  You shouldn't be in the position of having to mediate the disputes or take extra chances determining who has authority to change services that are memorialized in the contract.
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