The Legal Chronicle
While apartment complex owners and property managers are ultimately responsible for the safety and security of tenants and their guests, residents can take precautions to protect their families and neighbors.
The Richardson Police Department urges tenants to start or join an apartment community watch:
Why Do Apartment Residents Need a Crime Watch?
- Predators enjoy relative anonymity due to large numbers of people coming and going.
- Residency is usually short-term, and tenants develop no real sense of responsibility for the property.
- Residents in gated communities can develop a false sense of security. Carelessness abounds.
- Residents often leave security issues to others, not wanting to get involved.
- Criminals who feel unthreatened will come back for more.
What Can Residents Do to Take Control of Their Communities?
- Organize and utilize an Apartment Crime Watch program.
- Criminals like to blend in, but they should feel threatened, surrounded by so many windows, balconies, doors, and eyes.
- If residents do not take control, the criminals will! Be protective.It is YOUR HOME!
- Challenge suspicious behavior by watching and reporting to police.
- Look and listen out windows.
- Sit on your balcony and be seen. Be territorial! It is your home! When away, make your unit look and sound occupied.
- Guests should respect the residents, the property, and behave responsibly.
- Call police first to report crimes in progress, crimes already committed, or breaches of the peace.
- Inform your property manager of any incidents the next business day.
For more apartment resident safety tips and community watch information, visit RPD.
Apartment Resident Rights and Owner Responsibility
Apartment residents and guests have a right to be safe and secure while on the premises. By law, apartment owners and management companies have a duty to protect residents from any foreseeable harm. For example, should an apartment complex owner have knowledge of prior crime on or near property, they have a duty to implement security precautions to protect residents and deter future crime.
The Murray Law Firm encourages all apartment community owners and managers to work with their local law enforcement and to take a pro-active approach to property safety.
We’ve Recovered Millions for Victims of Apartment Security Negligence…Contact us Now for a Free Consultation.
The Murray Law Firm has an extensive and successful record representing victims of violence and apartment security negligence. We have recovered millions of dollars for our Clients, and we recently obtained a $29.25 million dollar verdict for a victim of an unsafe property. We offer our legal assistance, if desired.
We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us via e-mail (click here) or by telephone at 888.842.1616. Consultations are free and confidential.
Choosing the Right Attorney
Selecting the right attorney for you or your family is highly important. You must feel confident that the attorney you hire has a complete understanding of the law applicable to your particular case, and has successful experience in handling such cases.
Important: Do not hire a lawyer who has violated the Rules of Professional Conduct!!!
You should not hire an attorney who calls you or visits you unsolicited, or anyone that contacts you directly to offer legal services. This activity is strictly prohibited by Rule 7.3 of the American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct, which states as follows:
A LAWYER “SHALL NOT” CONTACT A PROSPECTIVE CLIENT THROUGH A “LIVE TELEPHONE” OR AN “IN-PERSON” VISIT.
– RULE 7.3, ABA MODEL RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT.
If an attorney, or someone acting on behalf of an attorney, contacts you in this manner, that attorney is in violation of this Rule. This unethical and unprofessional activity on the part of the lawyer is good sign that you should stay away. It is imperative that you are represented by an attorney who is capable of advocating for you within the confines of the law, and an attorney who fails to abide by the Rules of Professional Conduct is probably not the best fit. In fact, any such attorney should be immediately reported to the local State Bar Association. If you have been contacted in such an unsolicited manner, contact us and we’ll assist you in filing a report.
Contingency Fees Disclaimer: “Contingent attorneys’ fees refers only to those fees charged by attorneys for their legal services. Such fees are not permitted in all types of cases. Court costs and other additional expenses of legal action usually must be paid by the client.”