False Alarm Gets Costly For Omaha Homeowner

Homeowners got a hefty bill after the City of Omaha paid them a visit at 1 a.m.

It happened last month, when Betty Miserez and Robert Thompson opened their door to to find an officer who arrived because of the City of Omaha False Alarm Watchdog Crywolf Services. It appeared an alarm was going off in the home.

The problem?

“You can look all over the house and there’s no alarm system anywhere,” Miserez told 6 News.

Still, the City of Omaha False Alarm Reduction Program issued fines to the couple — it started with $25, then raised to $45 when the city didn’t receive a payment, and finally, the city warned that they could have to pay $100 if they don’t register their alarm system.

After 6 News contacted the city, officials discovered that the actual resident of the alarm company lived about three blocks away. The Omaha finance department said it would stop billing Miserez.

“I’m happy that they just got a wrong address…I can’t express how relieved I am,” she told 6 News.

City officials say the issue was by COX monitoring, which said an outside business operates that service. The company apologized to Miserez and promised to work with customers to resolve issues.

Photo: Getty Images