BB through a window ... What do I do?

[greg]

Sorry for this post, guys. Its not 'advancing the airgun community' in any way. I just want to draw from the collective wisdom and decide the right thing to do in this situation.

I own a rental property in Cleveland, OH. The property manager wrote a report today that "someone shot a BB through the dining room window".





Indeed, looks a copper-plated BB. 

I'd guess, based on some first hand experience having shot through my own window on accident (for reference, see my avatar ) - to have enough energy to penetrate glass cleanly, it would have to have more than 7, maybe 10 FPE on impact and the angle had to be close to 90 degrees, which means one or two properties across the street is where the projectile came from (unless it was shot from a passing car gangsta-style)

What would you guys suggest is a proper way of handling this sort of situation? Just let it go? File a police report? Do 'forensics' myself and talk to neighbors?

[edit: clarification]

 

[AZBOBCAT]

In Cleveland you should consider yourself lucky it wasn't a bullet. File a Police Report and call it a day. Then look at better places to live I hate Cleveland parents lived in Richmond Heights for years fortunately I was old enough to not move with them.

 

[NeilClague]

I agree with AZ not a lot you can do unless you saw who did it, I would suggest following AZ's suggestion and just file a police report, Maybe your home owners insurance will cover it? Good luck, Neil.

 

[Yote]

Don't even bother with a police report its just wasting your time and there's.Sooner or later you'll see someone with a BB gun case solved.Than its up to you for pay back or what ever.

 

[PlanB]

let it go

 

[Kitplanenut]

I have a number of rental properties and over the years have had such things happen. Bottom line is this. If you file a police report nothing will come of it other then pissing you off at the process and lack of interest. Doesn't cost anything though. If the police actually caught some kid they won't tell you who it is if they are under 18. If they caught someone and you find out who your only recourse is to take them to small claims court and if you win they will more then likely still not pay you. This would be if it was a minor and you sued the parents. Everything you do to recoupe damages will cost you. Filing fees. Chances are your insurances has at least a 500.00 deductible so no help there. I've learned to just write it off to the cost of doing business and try not to let it bother me. The one thing you might do is talk to the people across the street and let them know what happened. Maybe they have a kid they will grill. Just my experience 

 

[Ropechucker]

Raise the rent.

 

[hawken54]

I fixed one like that with a small piece of saran wrap, duck taped to one side and dabbed it with clear silicone, smoothed it with a plastic putty knife. After it dried I pulled the saran off. Not perfect but it worked for a while. But it was warm out when I did it.

Edit: Just looked again. Is it single or double pained, and only went through one pane.

 

[sharroff]

Might want to call an auto glass repair shop and see if they can fix it w/o replacing the entire pane.

 

[greg]

Thank you all for your thoughts, guys! I did not know what I was getting myself into buying a rental property in Cleveland. No end in grief ever since.

 

[NeilClague]

Sorry but I do not agree with just letting it go and not filing a police report, if a report is filed it is possible whoever is doing it might get some attention from the police, maybe some kid walking around with a BB gun will get stopped and questioned. They might not be able to prove it was him but it could very well stop his antics. Too many people just let things go, who knows what future criminal acts could be stopped by someone filing a police report in the first place, just my opinion but file nothing and nothing will ever get done, Neil.

 

[MattChastain]

A few years ago me and my dad changed a few Windows that had moisture between the panes and we needed to break them up to put in the trash so I thought I would do some testing and see what it takes to crack or go through a window with a BB. These where fairly large double pane Windows and I tried with a daisy red Ryder and a 760 pump master. I never did get the daisy to do more than put a little chip in the glass but at full pumps from the 760 a BB went right through the first pane w d cracked the second. Just thought I would give some forensic information in case you find a kid with a gun. I am with Neil I think you should definitely do something even if you never get money back it may scare some sense into who ever did it. 

 

[greg]

Neil, Matt, makes sense.
The property manager put the house on 'police watch' (whatever that means). They also replaced the whole window. 

Matt, thanks for the info. I once shot through my double window on accident from very close distance, and at 17 FPE, the .177 CP went through only one layer.