Fire Alarm Monitoring Contract - Has anyone had experience getting out of a bogus contract with JCI for work they aren't performing?
I signed a new contract with XYZ Company for a 5y term to monitor my buildings fire alarm. Upon their first inspection, they supposedly checked out the system, and approved it in Sep 2021. Fast forward to Sep 2022 when the state inspection was due. Upon the inspection, they discovered that approx. 20 smoke alarms and detectors weren't operating. Infact a third party company suggested that all of my second floor isn't working.

I immediately stopped paying XYZ Company, and they put the 3k it into collections. I asked them when my initial contract started, what did they inspect when I walked around the building with them? They said they inspected it but they dont have an audit trail or any documentation stating that they inspected each individual smoke detector/alarm. All they had was my signature on the contract.

The contract is for 5y, I pay approx 200 a month for monitoring and free service (parts/labor) included.

They said on the first inspection they don't check individual smoke detectors, bc it wouldnt be cost effective for the service contract to foot the bill for repairs immediately, thus they wait until the state inspection which is due the following year. 

This seems bizzare to me for a global company like that not to inspect the entire 2nd floor and not document their findings, and to wait an entire year to do an indepth inspection so that its cost effective for them. Are they over looking the safety of people and my building? Is this normal, Is this enough grounds to terminate my contract with out penalties?

&amp;#x200B;

Im thinking about writing to my local and state fire marshall and including this company on the correspondence so that I can get out of my contract and go with a smaller company that I can have an actual relationship with vs just another salesman.

&amp;#x200B;

TIA
[{"id": "iv4hbhs", "text": "If they broke the contract...\n\nBut you sound like you want /r/legaladvice.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "iv4j8zm", "text": "Reread the whole contract and figure out what they're supposed to be doing vs what they actually did. Whay documentation is required per the contract? If they're supposed to inspect every n months and service the alarm and sprinkler systems as needed but they didn't, you could probably pursue a termination for their default on the agreement. Without knowing the exact terms of the contract nobody will be able to tell you how to get out of it, if you can at all.  \n\nEdit to add: What does the contract say about when the official inspection comes around? If their service model is to wait for that inspection to identify what needs to be corrected then I'd expect some details about how they will work with the inspecting authority to bring everything up to spec.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]