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naturelover66
Member
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:52pm
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Sorry Don.... This is something i worry about often. I hope all of your belongings are recovered...... Were they teenagers?
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2016 07:29pm - Edited by: DaveBell
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When I leave my property, I don't leave anything I don't mind loosing. When I go full time, I'll have to plan on building the cabin with hardened security elements in case I want to winter in Florida or Arizona for a couple of months.
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KinAlberta
Member
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2016 08:22pm
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Quoting: MtnDon FishHog, re cameras... Talking with the two neighbors we do have, one told us he doesn't go looking around our place much when he is up there unless he hears us or sees us or our truck. He said he doesn't want to be seen on our cameras. We do have video surveillance signs and two cameras other than the game cameras that were stolen. The other 2 cameras are real, but not hooked up. So it seems the warning signs may keep away the honest folk more than the thieves.
I'm letting those in the neighbouring subdivision that they are welcome to walk our property (at their own risk). They benefit and we benefit. If they walk around our cabins and peek inside what do I care. In fact that might help deter crime.
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2016 08:36pm
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This may work.
http://kickproof.com/
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2016 09:03pm
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No doubt it would divert a door breaker to window smashing.
If the location was in the city / suburbs the thieves may be deterred by that because they don't want to be heard or seen because the break in is taking too long. In a location where there are only 2 neighbors within 1/4 mile and one of them can not see our place at all, plus none of us three can see seen from any public access road or trail, I now believe this would only divert them from door smashing to another forced entry method.
I do appreciate all the suggestions however, I feel that Just and FishHog have the best way of looking at remote location security. There simply is none.
I believe a solid wood door would just mean having a more expensive door broken to beyond repair. Again, it is the remoteness that exacerbates the security problem. I should have given more thought and not installed such a wonderful deadbolt in the first place. I did do a great installation though.  Just misplaced as for location. We have the same locks here in the 'burbs.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 21 Sep 2016 08:51am
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When I bought my property, I was hesitant because the private road goes right through it. There are only two properties beyond mine and it dead ends, so not much traffic on the road, still, every morning I see them drive off to work.
Now I see the advantage of it. Never has anyone messed with anything on the property in my absence. It could happen, but they would have to carefully time their efforts to when they would stand the least chance of cars passing by.
When people ask on the forum what to look for when buying property, perhaps this security issue should be raised.
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Bevis
Member
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2016 09:46pm
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That blows. Sorry to hear about the break in...at least they didn't torch it and robbing you. 
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Purplerules
Member
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# Posted: 26 Sep 2016 07:45am
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So sad to hear. Sorry
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 04:31pm
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Good news; 3 more people arrested. The ATV guy's mother one of them. A family affair apparently. Some more property recovered but none identified as ours at this point. The police have about 40+ lists to go through and match against the recovered property. So we have a stop to this particular gang of thieves. Hopefully for a long time. Waiting word on court date.
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LoonWhisperer
Member
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 05:57pm
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Quoting: MtnDon Good news; 3 more people arrested.
Nice! Don't always get that result, that's for sure.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 08:58pm
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Only about 13% of reported burglaries in the US result in arrests.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 09:13pm
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If the guy had never taken the ATV we would still not have a clue. Thank goodness for that little twist of fate.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 09:22pm
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If he hadn't ridden the thing down a public street in blatant violation of a standing law, just after having stolen the thing... Boggles the mind...
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 09:56pm
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Where are the mugshots?
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 4 Oct 2016 12:22pm
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Oh no,so sorry to hear this MtnDon.
Very glad to hear the culprits have been caught.
Sounds like they have been doing this for quite awhile. Have the police figured out how they have been selling the items?
Craig's List,EBay the local pawn shop?
A neighbor lady had jewelry stolen from her home ,a trip to the local pawn shop was where she found her jewelry for sale and a video tape of the culprit whom happened to be her next door neighbor on probation for distribution of drugs....
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RiverCabin
Member
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# Posted: 7 Oct 2016 08:55am
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Quoting: bldginsp When I bought my property, I was hesitant because the private road goes right through it. There are only two properties beyond mine and it dead ends, so not much traffic on the road, still, every morning I see them drive off to work. Now I see the advantage of it. Never has anyone messed with anything on the property in my absence.
I am in the same boat. My property is bisected by a dead end county road. Although I would prefer to be more isolated, I do believe the visibility of my cabin from the road has been a deterrent to any crime. Further, as there are more cabins up the road from me, I would think that thieves would be more hesitant to try anything. Sadly, the same does not apply to trespassers as I routinely find cigarette packs, butts, beer and soda cans, and other detritus from people using my property to go to the river.
Here in Missouri you see random locked gates with roads leading into forest land (typically with nothing else indicative of permanent residence such as a mailbox). It is a sure sign that someone has built a cabin in the woods. Those gates are like magnets for thieves. They ride their motorcycles or atvs around the gate and head up to pillage whatever they find.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 7 Oct 2016 01:05pm
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Quoting: RiverCabin I routinely find cigarette packs, butts, beer and soda cans, and other detritus from people using my property to go to the river.
Everyone would like a place on the water, and it certainly is nice, but everyone also feels that water belongs to everyone, therefore they have the right to access it. In Hawaii the beaches are all public property, but the land surrounding is not, and people walk over other's property to get to the beach. So you see fences, signs, and even barbed wire in some locations in an attempt to keep trespassers off. This is off-topic, but the general message is that there is more to choosing property than just how you will use it- how might others use it, legally or not? As a place to steal from? A hunting ground? Access to rivers or beaches? A dump? A place for old cars to die? You can't control your neighbors, but you can control which neighborhood you choose to live in.
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KinAlberta
Member
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2016 09:27am
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Quoting: bldginsp # Posted: 7 Oct 2016 13:05 Reply Quote Quoting: RiverCabin I routinely find cigarette packs, butts, beer and soda cans, and other detritus from people using my property to go to the river. Everyone would like a place on the water, and it certainly is nice, but everyone also feels that water belongs to everyone, therefore they have the right to access it. In Hawaii the beaches are all public property, but the land surrounding is not, and people walk over other's property to get to the beach. So you see fences, signs, and even barbed wire in some locations in an attempt to keep trespassers off. This is off-topic, but the general message is that there is more to choosing property than just how you will use it- how might others use it, legally or not? As a place to steal from? A hunting ground? Access to rivers or beaches? A dump? A place for old cars to die? You can't control your neighbors, but you can control which neighborhood you choose to live in.
I'd have to look the, up but I believe the public in Canada generally has the right to cross private land to access waterways.
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2016 10:29am - Edited by: silverwaterlady
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In Ontario CA it's called SRA (shoreline road allowance). It is 66 feet. This was put into place in the 1850's to allow for transportation on the waterways by canoe and logging operations.
This does not give anyone the right to access the waterway by trespassing on private property to get there. If you are boating on the water than you are allowed to land and walk on that 66 feet.
If anyone is going to build near a waterway in Ontario,Canada make sure to measure that 66 feet from the high waterline. We made sure we built far enough back from the lake that we never have to worry our cabin was not set back far enough.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2016 11:00pm
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I went up to the WV property today. Someone pried open the RV door (has deadbolt), and stole my two Trojan AGM31 batteries (69 lbs ea.), camp stove, and who knows what else. Then I remembered I had set up (hidden) a game cam for just such an event. 
I called some buds up on the mountain.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2018 04:44pm
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In case anyone remembers and is curious....
We're coming up on the 2nd anniversary of our cabin break in. Last week we got a letter from our county corrections / probation and parole department. They informed us that as a part of his sentence, the leader was ordered to pay restitution. He received a 5 year sentence, probation with ankle bracelet. He is working. We were asked to supply receipts for the stolen and still missing property. I have receipts for almost half, about $1950. We are meeting with the county person in a few days to hand over the list. The official has the power to include items for which we don't have receipts at his discretion. That is why we opted for a face to face meeting rather than just mailing the receipts. Maybe it will help us.
Anyhow, we will happily accept any monies. As we were only one of about three dozen burglaries our share may be small, may be slow in coming. However, at this point I do not know how many other cases were tied to the thief or how many he admitted to. The police never recovered any of our property other than what was recovered when they caught the guy on our ATV with our shotgun. The guy and his friends had developed a very rapid disposal system.
I finally got around to installing a new door. For the last two years we've been making do with a sandwich patch of 1x6 boards. I cut out the badly bent door section and sandwiched the edge. We've used a padlock on a sliding bolt.
Yesterday I pulled the old door frame out, cleaned up the foamed infill, and installed a new prehung steel door. This time I did not bother with a deadbolt. I was impressed with how sturdy the first deadbolt installation was. It took a lot of effort, time and may have been noisy. In the city it may have made the thieves give up. Out here with only the pine trees watching a deadbolt doesn't make as much sense, now. If there is another break in there should be less damage to repair. That's my theory anyhow.
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2018 05:23pm
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You should add a strip of steel screwed into the framing material on the exterior sides of the door before you install the unit. You'd have to cut out a spot for the latch or deadbolt. Usually it's the wooden frame that splits when a door is kicked in.
https://www.instructables.com/id/Hardening-a-Door-Frame/
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2018 05:30pm
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However small the restitution I hope it gives some comfort. Good luck with everything.
It's nice to hear from you again. Don't be such a stranger! 😃
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2018 07:25pm
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good update MtnDon and nice to see you around here. Hope you get a bit of the restitution you deserve.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 11 Sep 2018 11:48pm
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Thanks for the encouragement guys.
rockies, I think maybe you misinterpreted what I meant when I said spoke about there being less damage to repair, if we are broken into again. Perhaps in the city, with neighbors who might hear break in attempts, a more resistant door jamb would be advatageous. However, out in the deep woods boonies we have no neighbors near enough to hear any attempts at bashing in a door. Did you note the photos in the 11th post? Theze guys had plenty of time to pry and bend, decorm the steel door. The high secuity deadblot strikeplate had r long #10 screws into the 2x6 framing. They did not get broken. Bent some. I was actually surprised they worked at the door as much as they did. They could have broken a window and crawled in and simply opened the lock from the inside, then taken what wanted out the door.
My thoughts are now to have a simple lock to keep the curious honest folks out, but that is not so robust that the door or doorframe is again demolished. In hi dsight I was foolish to replicate the strength of the doors on our city home. Tbe remoteness of the cabin is a blessing and a curse. Too strong a door means also armouring tbe windows. Then, in a remote cabin place the thieves may just opt to chainsaw an entry through the wall. I know of a cabin tbat sas done to.
The new door is good enough to keep the curious at bay. The new lock could be kicked in. There will be enough amage to show forced entry to any insurance company. But the damage may be less and be repairable without neexing to replace door and doorframe.
The meeting with tbe parole officer did not work out today. Somebody called in a bomb threat and the entire courthouse was emptied while police searched.
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 12 Sep 2018 07:37am
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I agree with your plan Don. After being broken into twice at my remote places, I've done the same. I have a simple padlock and hasp to keep the honest people out and spares to replace them when the thieves break in. Leaves minimal damage to repair. I just hope they don't make a mess, realize there are no valuables left there, and shut the door on the way out.
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KinAlberta
Member
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# Posted: 15 Sep 2018 02:09am - Edited by: KinAlberta
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Deception might be another option:
Say install a very strong steel door and lock but somehow made to look rather cheap and used (ie scratch up a steel door, mark it with a felt pen like: door bent $60 scratched out then $30. Just something to make it look like it’s only there because it was a cheap garage sale fix.)
Then add a very small easily breakable window. Too small to use but big enough to see in.
Keep any valuables out of sight and put junky items in full view.
Note: I just replaced a busted up, patched up old side door to a garage with a commercial steel door (the type on the back of every commercial building out there).
Unfortunately it now looks like the garage might have something valuable in it. I also plan to clad the old painted plywood with metal siding. Almost guaranteeing a break in attempt.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 15 Sep 2018 10:12am
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Those commercial steel doors with welded steel frames are great, but their use will send a burglar to the windows if there are any. I used those doors on my present home and outbuildings. You can get them in the 6-panel metal design to make them look a little better than the normal flat steel.
For the windows we used roll down steel units similar to these. https://www.overheaddoor.com/rolling-shutters-653
The shop vehicle access doors are a commercial quality steel roll up similar to the window shutters. It is also fire rated.
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slatecreek
Member
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# Posted: 15 Sep 2018 11:43am
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I have considered steel doors and steel window shutters on our place. We have a well built doors over the windows and a solid front door. My thoughts were with all of the cordless tools, why couldn't someone just cut a hole in the side of the cabin with a battery circular saw and walk in. Far enough away nobody would hear the saw or if the neighbors did they thought it was me working on a project.
My friend bought a cellular lockable GPS trail cam for his place in WV. He lives 15 minutes away on the next mountain and it works great. As long as you have a cellular connection he said he has the small package, $10 a month is good for like 500 pictures. If it gets stolen, the GPS will show you where it's at. He uses it mostly for watching deer and bear but it protects his cabin as well.
I'm considering one and mounting it up in the trees looking down at the cabin. When it see movement, it snaps a picture and sends it to your phone or computer. Here's the link:
URL
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slatecreek
Member
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# Posted: 15 Sep 2018 11:44am
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Link to the cellular trail cam:
https://www.bushnell.com/Products/Trail-Cameras/?Interests=Cellular&page=1
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