copper theft / permit required for selling scrap metal

[darkoshi]

For my own future reference, in case I plan to drop off any scrap metal at a recycler:

SC Copper Theft Law Puts New Requirements on Recyclers

...they agreed to allow homeowners and anyone else who doesn't recycle very often to get a temporary permit by phone by calling the sheriff's office. The temporary permit will be good for 48 hours. Instead of showing a permit, those recyclers will just have to provide the temporary permit number issued by the sheriff's office.

I think this is a good thing, if it really helps to reduce thefts and vandalism.

One of the houses I was looking at with Forestfen had an odd looking black contraption in the back yard next to the house, near a metal pipe coming out of the ground with wires sticking out of it. At the time, I simply wondered what that odd thing was. Later, I realized that there hadn't been any sign of a heat pump or A/C unit near the house, and that what I had seen were the remains of one. The black thing was the compressor unit.

Comments

[charcoalfeathers]

It's almost kind of Mad Max like... people raiding unfinished houses and stealing the copper from them for money.

[darkoshi]

Yep, they steal from houses that are standing vacant up for sale, and sometimes from non-vacant houses. I read an article where someone had their metal gate stolen, and another article where thieves were stealing wire from street lamps.