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Question re bugs
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Ken,

Does the NEC, or any other regulatory agency that you’re aware of, require that an installer seal the back of a key pad or stand-alone panel to the sheet rock? In other words, does an installer have to fill in the hole made in the sheet rock, for the install, sealing it to the back of the panel?

A customer is blaming my company for a roach infestation in his walls, claiming that the roaches got in through the holes made in the sheet rock for the AC connection, and therefore it’s our fault. Thanks for any help you can offer.
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Answer
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Finally a question that I can't answer; don't even know where to start. Anyone have any comment?

The Standard Form Contracts do provide that you can make whatever holes necessary to install your equipment and that you are not responsible for any condition created in installation or removal [for when you retain ownership of the equipment].
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Is anybody leasing any more?
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When I started representing the alarm industry in 1977 the most popular contract, by far, was a lease. My clients were primarily in New York City, doing commercial intrusion and fire alarm systems. The prevailing business model was to lease the system, install it and include service and monitoring in the RMR charge. Even residential systems were leased, using the commercial lease, which is why a Standard Residential Lease was created. But it has occurred to me that the Standard Form Contracts that are most popular now are the Standard All in One, which covers sale, installation, service and monitoring for residential systems, including remote access, and can be used for commercial as well. This is a sales contract, not a lease. Only the communication system remains property of the alarm company and is not included in the sale.

The other most popular contract is the Fire All in One, which is a commercial fire alarm contract that covers sale, installation, monitoring, inspection, service and runner service, all separately requiring a RMR charge.

No doubt that the complexity of alarm systems today make the systems of 1977 look primitive. It's not easy to remove a leased system when you try to recover your wiring and conduit.

Also, my practice has expanded well beyond New York City to include all of the United States, parts of Canada and a few islands south of Florida. Maybe alarm companies have different business models in different parts of the country. So, my question to you is, is anybody still leasing alarm systems?

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