Have activated Brinks system without contract! Need to deactivate!

I bought a house recently with a Brinks system installed. We do not have a Brinks contract, so the system technically is "inactive" and out of contract. Just today the alarm keypads started beeping due to a low-battery warning. Not knowing what to do I pushed a couple of buttons on the panel, and much to my surprise when I pressed the On button the system went active (on)!

I immediately disabled the motion sensors (pressed the Motion Off button) and called Brinks. They explained how to power down the panel. I disconnected the backup battery first and then disconnected line power. Brinks assured me that after doing this, if I hooked the panel up again it would be inactive. Well, I did power up the panel and it immediately went into the active (on) state again! I tested that it was really on by openning an entry door. The key pad started beeping, indicating that the disarm code needed to be entered. I immediately RAN to the panel and disconnected power again -- I didn't feel like listenning to the siren go off.

Soooo, what do I do? I don't have the master code from the previous owners. Anyone know how to turn this system off again without the master code? Per some suggestions from other posts I have disconnected the panel phone line.

The panel is a BHS-1200 (Sentrol, Inc. P/N 60821564 A). The key pads are Scantronic DCU-602 series, P/N 101-000121.

Since I'm not too concerned about monitoring (the alarm horn should be good enough for now), anyone have a good suggestion for a replacement panel? This is a wired system, and all wires are pretty clearly marked. I just need to know what to buy. As long as the wiring is compatible I know I can replace this all myself.

So, any suggestions?

Reply to
thomas
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Call Brinks and have them reprogram the panel for you as a "local". I'm of course assuming that you *own* the equipment. Good luck!!!

Reply to
Frank Olson

I'll take a shot at that. Yes, as far as I know I do "own" the equipment. Of course, we'll see what THEY say... There's a remote possibility I might be able to get ahold of the previous owners. From my internet search they have an unlisted phone number, but we know a couple of neighbors were friends of theirs, so we'll see.

Reply to
thomas

Actually you would own it.

Reply to
Crash Gordon®

Brinks would not be able to get it back unless you wanted to give it to them.

When you buy a house you are buying everything attached to it at the time of purchase, if Brinks wanted it back they would have had to remove it *before* the house was sold to another party. By them not doing so they've abandoned it...and you're right who'd want it?

Reply to
Crash Gordon®

if you bought the house with the system already in, no, you do not own the system.......you only own it if you actually PAID the $500.....open the panel cover, there should be a card in there listing all of the zones and acouple of other numbers.... there's a chance that the master code is written somewhere on that card..

Reply to
bdebj2

When you buy a house you are buying everything attached to it at the time of purchase, if Brinks wanted it back they would have had to remove it *before* the house was sold to another party. By them not doing so they've abandoned it...and you're right who'd want it?

Brinks won't have known they sold the house, it's clearly stated on the panel the customer does not own the panel. Granted they won't come to pick it up but they don't have to do jack with it either

Reply to
Mark Leuck

It depends on what Brinks did (or does now) when they were notified that the prior occupant was leaving. In most cases they simply leave the system in place, hoping the next homeowner will sign up. If they've been notified and they don't make an attempt to retrieve the hardware within a reasonable period of time (what is considered a "reasonable" time varies somewhot from state to state), the system is abandoned and becomes the property of the homeowner.

Reply to
Robert L. Bass

no, you would not OWN it!!!!! you can do what you want with it, but if brinks wanted it back they CAN come get it....truthfully with it being a 1202 system, it's pretty much useless to brinks...not worth the time and money to come get it.....

Reply to
bdebj2

I was talking to an attorney friend of mine this morning:

IF it was a *leased* system then Brinks would still own it.

IF it wasn't a lease then whomever purchased the house would own it even though they did not buy it specifically from Brinks - what's attached or contained within the house is sold with the house.

I've lost 2 leased systems this way, btw...the new owners did not want to give the system back to me...and it wasn't worth the hassle to push the issue.

Reply to
Crash Gordon®

one would think...then it becomes a doorstop.

Reply to
Crash Gordon®

IF it was a *leased* system then Brinks would still own it.

IF it wasn't a lease then whomever purchased the house would own it even though they did not buy it specifically from Brinks - what's attached or contained within the house is sold with the house.

I've lost 2 leased systems this way, btw...the new owners did not want to give the system back to me...and it wasn't worth the hassle to push the issue.

I've yet to see a purchased Brinks system so I'd say it's safe to assume he's got a leased panel

Reply to
Mark Leuck

If Brinks doesn't take action within a reasonable time frame after learning that their client has moved, the property is abandoned and they lose their rights to it.

Reply to
Robert L. Bass

Either way because of the proprietary nature of the system it is useless to the homeowner

Reply to
Mark Leuck

Deservedly so.

Reply to
Robert L. Bass

Hey...I pulled a 1986 8112 out today...original battery!...that's gotta be a record 19 year old battery (of course it was way dead).

Reply to
Crash Gordon®

record 19 year old battery (of course it was way dead).

I'm surprised you didn't just find two corroded battery leads hanging out of a hole eaten through the bottom of the box.

Reply to
Jim

Yah!..actually its a new owner doing a remodel..the system was really in sad shape. It was a nice install at one time. The only problem is I *hate* working with open circuit switches on big loops, so I'm having to dig out all the old switches too...and they never ran a front door freekin switch (!) so's i gotsta do some major trickery to get over there with a wire.

Reply to
Crash Gordon®

A little behind on annual maintenance are we?

Reply to
Bob Worthy

That adobe construction is a bear and would require some masterful trickery. All kidding aside, is it still stick build out there? We have cement block or tilt slab with steel studs for interior framing down here. With the contempory designs nothing is easy after the fact, including wireless. Cosmetics ya know, and then you have the interior designers who get their panties in a wad. "Your not putting that on a $20K door", imported for God knows where. I had one male interior designer call me one day actually bawling because he read on the heat sensor "Do Not Paint" and that he just couldn't live with this white "thing" going on his canary yellow ceiling. This guy was actually gasping for air between the tears. Funny as hell!

Reply to
Bob Worthy

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