Didn’t know we could lock our garage door openers. Will ask hubs about that. Thanks!

Very well stated!

Florida law is pretty definite on this, at least according to hussein and webber dot com: "If the defendant is in his or her home or vehicle, then, under Section 776.013, Florida Statutes, the law will presume that the defendant had a reasonable fear of imminent death or bodily harm if the alleged victim unlawfully entered or remained or attempted to remove another person against their will."

I read this to mean that in Florida, a violent act on the part of a home (or vehicle) invader does not have to actually be threatened or occur. The law assumes, if the invader makes it into the home or vehicle, that said invader INTENDS to perpetrate "imminent death or great bodily harm", and the homeowner can act accordingly.

Is it draconian? Maybe. But if you're faced with a home invader or invaders, the time for logic, reason, and waiting for the criminal to act is long past. Statistically, it is near 50-50 that if that happens, the invader is there because he is desperate for drug money. "Almost 40% of people locked up for property crimes...reported that they had committed their most serious offense for drug-related reasons. " (bjs dot com), and it is pretty much a given that someone resorting to stealing to feed an addiction is not going to act rationally. I might welcome a 60-40 edge if I was in (say) Vegas, but when my life or well-being, or that of my loved ones, is at risk, then I'm definitely NOT going to roll those dice. It needs to be 100%, or as close to that as possible, and I'm grateful that Florida law would back me up on that account.

Obviously there are two unique groups in this thread, one that thinks the bad guy is in deep trouble another that thinks the bad guy needs a hug.

To the huggers: No one wants to kill anybody, gun toters are not looking for an excuse to use them. Think about the mental toll it would have on any one of us to kill someone that didn't have malicious intent. Also consider the impact it would have on you to know that your hesitance to act cost your loved ones life or well being.

To the gun toters, my brethren, we have the responsibility to try to assess the situation and act appropriately. The possibility a lost neighbor with dementia wandered into our house is high, very high in a place with 150k old folks. The possibility it is a victim of domestic violence looking for shelter is high given the substance abuse we hear about every day. The possibility it is a desperate person caught in a hopeless situation due to the economic mess the world is in is high and getting worse by the day, we have communities on 2 or 3 sides that have lower income people in them.

At the end of the day I'm going to do my best to avoid unnecessary harm if possible. That said, if there's any question in my mind at all I'm going to err on the side of acting rather than take the chance. That might cost a life but it won't be mine or my family if I can help it.

Not going to commit suicide. He was rummaging through the wife’s purse in the laundry room. He was brazen to enter the home.

I have never needed to use my smoke detectors to save me from a burning home, but I think it is a great idea to have them. Having them does not mean I am living in fear that my house will burn down. It is the opposite, having them means I do not have to live in fear of it.

Why did you change out the plates? Are you loving in fear of a criminal murder you in your home, or did you install them so you feel safer? Did you ever need to use the plates to run away in fear? Why have them?

A gun means never having to run away in fear, hoping to escape, praying you do. Fearing what would happen if you do not escape.

There is a slider switch below the light button on the wall pad to lock/unlock the door.

The deputy who did my security assessment said to remove the rope on your garage door because people have used something inserted at the top of the door to grab the handle and disconnect the door from the opener. The door can then be lifted easily to open it.

My question is, if someone has the gull to break into another’s home, how do you know he’s not carrying a gun and would do harm to you and your family? Once the intruder realizes someone is home and awake, you’d think they’d immediately run out. But what if they don’t? At what point do you protect yourself?

I bet most people that own guns for self-defense don't practice nearly enough (or at all!) to be effective at much more than scaring someone. Maybe that's enough, but you'll do a lot of property damage shooting through your own walls trying to save your stuff. If you haven't practiced, GO PRACTICE and get instruction (skill and law)! It's not uncommon for criminals to be looking for drug money, which means they can possibly be drugged, take more hits than normal and your misses won't stop anything; they may even end up with your gun!

I am still curious how the guy got out of the house alive.

Breaking into an occuppied /unoccuppied home is NOT petit theft. And if they don’t value their life, why should we?

If an intruder enters my home, I'm not obligated (nor do I intend) to try to ascertain his / her motives or intents. Are they after my TV? Maybe they want to take a shower? NO NO NO - I will shoot first and (especially in FL), there will be no wrongful death situation. I have no qualms about injuring or killing said intruder. This is my home. This is my safe space. Unlawful entry is a deadly proposition.

To be clear. It’s not the stealing that will get the perp shot. It’s the breaking and entering.

Just one. But ask about magazines!

You might want to add a deadbolt lock on your house door.

Yes garage door openers usually have a lock switch on the wall switch. For electronic opening.
But I was thinking the other poster was referring to the MANUAL sliding lock on the garage door? No getting around that lock.