Alarm going off every night- can I keep telling the caretaker even though they can’t fix it?

[CatherineTheMediocre]

I live opposite a public building (think similar to a school but not). Every night for the last week, the alarm has been going off, several times a night. The first night a couple of neighbours and I had a look around and it looked secure so left it. The next night it went off again, same thing. On Friday, it went off again. Got a text from a neighbour saying a security team had turned up and looked around, found nothing and left. On Saturday I went to the building during the day, found the number for a care taker and contacted her. She responded to say she was shocked that it was still going off, and would sort it so it wouldn’t happen again. That night, the alarm went off again! I texted her again explaining it was going off and was told she would sort it the next day. Well guess what, it’s now Wednesday and it’s still going off every night, several times a night. I’ve contacted the care taker again tonight and explained (politely!) that it’s going off again. She has responded quite curtly to tell me that someone from the alarm company will be coming out some time next week and there’s nothing else she can do so I don’t need to tell her anymore. I know it must be annoying for her to keep getting messages, but it’s very bloody annoying for me to be disturbed every night, several times a night by this stupid alarm. Even more frustrating that it might be fixed some time next week, so possibly another week and a half of this? So-

Would I be unreasonable to message her every night to let her know it’s going off? Not every time, but once a night every night to make sure she is equally motivated to get it fixed?

If the alarm company can't come and sort it till next week, there's really not a lot the caretaker can do, so I think you would BU to keep ringing.

Bloody annoying though, and I can understand you being pissed off OP.

They can and should turn it off.

You need to get on to who ever owns/manages the building, not the caretaker who has no real power.

I can't imagine any historic building that is open to the public but unmanned unless it is a church. In which case get onto the Vicar/Minister/Church Wardens etc. Look at the website for people with more power than a caretaker and hassle them.

Report to the Council too.

So I’ve spoken to the vicar and he has said to speak to the caretaker as she is the local contact and he covers lots of churches in the area. It’s still going off every night multiple times. The caretaker is now ignoring my calls and not responding to texts. I don’t want to call the police as it seems a waste of their time. Will look into the council on Monday if it hasn’t stopped by then

Try the bishop then.

This kind of anti social noise nuisance is unacceptable and needs sorting.

I couldn't let this lie; go back to the vicar saying caretaker not responding and its the church's responsibility to sort immediately otherwise you will make a song and dance about it publicly and on social media about the anti social behaviour of the church and unwillingness to help their community out!

If it's a church, will there be people there for a service on Sunday - churchwardens etc? Who might care about local neighbours?

Ringer every time don’t forget to put 141 into block your number as she may block you first

It's nice that you think that!

<laughs maniacally as somebody who has been in the caretaker's position and had countless incidents of alarm companies not bothering to attend or having to wait weeks or longer for resolution>

OP, I would politely pressure the caretaker to disarm the alarm until the company attends next week, and to get their alarm company to provide alternative security as is their job and they should have been doing already - likely nobody is checking when the alarm is going off at present so there's no more security risk to turning it off than there is to leaving it on.

There will be others at the church who can help - church warden etc. Have a look at the information board outside or their website and contact everyone.
The alarm must be able to be totally switched off somehow.

If the caretaker is ignoring you, keep contacting the vicar and tell them you want the alarm turned off until it can be fixed, explaining that the caretaker is ignoring you. I have known many vicars, though, and they're not usually great at management abilities so he may be ineffectual.

See if you can find details for the Church wardens on their website or sometimes they are listed on the noticeboard. Or ask the vicar to give you details. If the diocese is on social media, you could also try complaining to them, but make sure you say you want the alarm switched off until it's fixed. Failing all that, turn up on Sunday if they have a service and complain in person.