Your house has been broken into while you are abroad. This can be a very stressful and emotional time. Generally, people are away from their homes while abroad and have no idea what is happening to their property. With the passing of hours and days, you will start to receive piecemeal information about what has been taking place in your house, while at the same time you are expected to make quick decisions.
Be it called a break-in, a burglary or even being burglarized, after the event your home has been entered by intruders. Without you being present in Athens, every single step in dealing with the consequences will be a greater challenge.
This guide to dealing with burglaries of homes left empty while their owners are abroad is aimed at those who need to find a reliable, independent liaison with the police and others whilst abroad and also require guidance on getting repairs carried out and a formal written record created which will also be required by an owner’s insurance company.
The first step in dealing with a break-in to your home when you are abroad is to ensure you have a trustworthy individual who can act on your behalf and coordinate all the necessary local action.
The greatest threat to any homeowner affected by a burglary is not the burglary itself but the lack of organization in the aftermath and the resulting communication problems.
- Police need access to the premises.
- Doors and windows may need to be replaced immediately.
- Insurance companies also require formal proof of the break-in as well as the subsequent measures you have taken.
- Building management expects prompt action.
Managing these matters remotely is nearly always going to result in delays, confusions and errors of all kinds.
First of all you need a trustworthy person on the spot, to coordinate the things that need to happen after a burglary has occurred.
Liaising with the Police and Registering the Incident Properly
After a burglary while you are abroad you will need a police report for your insurance, etc.
While abroad, a reliable local contact is needed to register a police report for a burglary.
- Contact the police as soon as possible.
- He or she should be present at the time of the Police’s arrival and grant them access to the property.
- Explain what occurred clearly.
- Ensure that the incident is officially documented.
Police usually will not open a case when they have not been granted access to a property and/or do not have a reliable contact on the premises.
Any delay could affect your foreign travel but more significantly, cause problems with your insurance claim.
In this case the liaison would assist you to ensure that the full extent of the incident is recorded by Police.
Preserving Evidence While Taking Immediate Action
The hardest task of all is taking immediate action after a burglary without compromising potential evidence.
A local liaison can:
- Prevent unnecessary disruption of the crime scene.
- Document/direct photographs of the damage done.
- Coordinate with the police prior to the cleaning up of the premises.
They will also provide assurance that no critical aspects of the crime have been missed.
Remote management of this task is very difficult.
Well-intentioned neighbors cleaning up the premises too soon can severely weaken insurance and police documentation of the break-in.
Securing the Property Immediately After the Burglary
After the police have completed their initial examination of the crime, it is essential that you secure your property as soon as possible.
Often this includes:
- Replacing damaged doors.
- Changing/fortifying locks.
- Boarding up damaged windows.
- Securing entrance ways to balconies.
- Inspecting additional entry/exit points.
Much of the local activity is simply securing the property to try to prevent further damage.
A trusted local liaison can:
- Call locksmiths/glaziers as soon as possible.
- Be present during the work.
- Verify that the new doors/windows were properly installed.
- Confirm that the home is once again secure.
By not managing this, a thief could return and cause even more damage.
Coordinating the Repair of Broken Doors and Windows
Replacing the doors and windows of a burgled property is rarely done quickly and easily.
It usually entails:
- Temporary measures to secure the property.
- Ordering the proper materials.
- Scheduling the work of multiple contractors/tradesmen.
- Access to the apartment to be restored for the contractor/tradesman performing the work.
- Is the work being carried out in compliance with the regulations of the building.
Of course, there is always the risk of delays, sloppily done work and cheating of foreign property owners by tradesmen and builders who know they are not locally resident.
Local representation can ensure that repair work is completed promptly and correctly.
Managing an Insurance Claim from a Distance
From an insurance point of view, there are three aspects of importance in case of a burglary: precision, complete documentation and timely processing.
Typically, insurers ask for:
- An official police report of the burglary.
- Photographs of the break-in.
- A detailed, itemized list of all items that have been stolen or damaged during the burglary.
- Proof that the property was subsequently locked/secured.
- Invoices for the emergency repairs made.
A local liaison can:
- Collect and organize the necessary documentation.
- Take clear photographs/reports of the burglary.
- Coordinate both short-term and long-term repairs.
- Support in clarifying further requirements to the insurer(s).
Attempting to gather this documentation remotely can leave you with incomplete information and delay payment from the insurer(s).
Communicating with Building Management and the Neighbors
Informal building management in Athens is often as powerful as formal.
After a burglary, someone must:
- Inform the building manager of the burglary.
- Ensure that all building management personnel have access to areas which are affected by the burglary in the event they are locked (e.g. lift shaft, stairwells, etc.).
- Address any damage to the common areas.
- Reassure the neighbors regarding the burglary, if necessary.
Local representation can help to prevent misunderstandings and offending neighbors and others where parts of the house affected by a burglary are also parts of the house that are also used by others.
Why trying to manage a burglary from a distance almost always fails
Some of the most common mistakes made by homeowners during a burglary while abroad:
- Delayed police response due to lack of access.
- Inadequate or incomplete police reporting of the burglary.
- Slow coordination of repairs.
- Poor quality of repairs.
- Problems with processing the insurance claim.
- Ongoing anxiety and uncertainty.
None of these problems are actually caused by the burglary itself, they are caused by you being distant from where the burglary took place.
Follow-Up Checks Following the Burglary Are Critical
Many times a burglary, which has happened within hours, reveals other weaknesses in a property that were not apparent previously.
Follow-up inspections should include:
- Checking all other potential entry points.
- Assessing any previously unidentified security vulnerabilities.
- Monitoring for follow-on attempted entries.
- Verifying that any repairs completed remain secure.
Having someone continue to inspect the property after the burglary for follow-on attempts is just as important as the initial response and action.
Emotional Impact and Restoring Confidence in the Home
There can be a significant emotional impact following a burglary on the way that a person views their home.
Even after repairs to your home have been completed many people are left with a deep fear of returning to find that they have been burgled.
Local presence also helps to create a sense of visible activity around your property and also help to restore confidence in your home by:
- The property is inspected regularly.
- Any new issues are identified quickly.
- There is always someone who can react.
It is only when we have ensured that someone is able to react that we can offer the homeowner peace of mind.
How a Local Representative Minimizes Future Risks
Properties that are consistently inspected and maintained are much less likely to be burgled again.
Local presence can also serve to give the perception of activity at the property to neighbors who can inform agents of suspicious activity and help to give thieves the impression that someone is home.
- Creating awareness among the neighbors regarding your constant maintenance visits.
- Ensuring that the mail is retrieved regularly.
- Identifying and resolving minor issues before they become major problems.
- Responding immediately to anything unusual.
Burglars look for vacant properties, left unattended for long periods of time. Constant presence and monitoring will prevent making your property an obvious target for thieves.
Is “Broken Into” Different Than “Burgled”, or “Burglarised”?
No. Regardless of whether you say your home in Athens has been broken into, burgled, or burglarized, all three describe the same thing: unauthorized entry into your home.
“Broken into” is the term most commonly used in U.S. English. In British English “burglarized” is also very often used; in Greece though, burglary is referred to by the three terms, and treated as identical by the police, the insurer and any property professional involved.
Final Thoughts
Burglarized while abroad? The largest danger to your property is not the break-in itself but the way you deal with the after effects from a foreign country.
A local liaison can make a huge difference in managing the chaos of dealing with a break-in whilst abroad. By having someone local to deal with the police, officially documenting the break-in, securing your property, arranging for repairs to broken doors or windows and handling your insurance claim with your local property manager, you can rest assured that a seemingly impossible task has been turned into a manageable one.
Distance creates vulnerability. A local liaison provides control.