A 7-year-old boy was robbed at an apartment complex, bringing into question whether inadequate security played a role in the incident. The robber stole more than $300 that the boy was carrying.
A tenant at the apartment building sent her son to the apartment complex’s leasing office on Seagraves Drive. He was carrying the money to the office — in a clear plastic bag — in order to pay the tenant’s rent when he was approached by a man.
The man pushed the boy to the ground during the robbery. He then fled on foot. The boy gave a description of the man to the police. The boy was not injured as a result of the incident. The police continue their investigation of the case.
When a person is injured or otherwise wronged on the property of another, he or she may have a premises liability claim against the property owner. The victim must prove that the owner had been negligent in some way, such as not providing ordinary care in maintaining the property or failing to make necessary repairs when becoming aware of them. The claim can also be based on inadequate security when victims are attacked by third parties while on the property.
Victims must often prove that other instances of similar conduct have occurred on the property that would give the landowner sufficient knowledge about the potential danger of the property. If an owner was aware of other instances or knew that a lack of security could lead to an unreasonable risk of harm to customers at a shopping center or tenants of the apartment building, the owner could be considered negligent. A premises liability lawyer can conduct an investigation to evaluate a property owner’s knowledge of any dangerous conditions.
Source: Athens Patch, “Child Robbed Of Mom’s Rent Money in Athens, Georgia,” Nov. 25, 2012