As previously discussed (click here), the theft of copper piping has continued to plague vacant and occupied properties across the country. It is anticipated that the epidemic could get worse as foreclosures continue to rise around the country and the price of copper increases. The following describes how one realtor is attempting to combat the issue, and the proactive approach being taken by the City of Cleveland.
Tagging plan aims to curb metal theft
Black light, paint find practical application
Realtor Chuck Lyons is tired of walking into foreclosed houses stripped of copper pipes, so he plans to arm himself - with a spray gun.
The Middleburg Heights agent intends to spray a clear coat of a fluorescent paint on pipes and wires so scrap-yard dealers can detect stolen metal with the use of a black light. The paint costs a lot less than a theft, $150 versus an average of $3,000 in stolen metal and damage.
Lyons also hopes other property owners and scrap dealers take up his idea so the word spreads that getting rid of stolen metal is a risky undertaking.
"In the last three years, the thefts have increased. It's an epidemic now," said Lyons, with Elite Realty. He has had metal stolen from 150 foreclosed homes he was in the process of selling for banks.
The theft of metal is a worldwide problem, fueled in large part by the demand for copper and related materials in China. Cleveland area dealers reported that scrap copper prices have jumped from $1 per pound in the summer of 2005 to as much as $2 per pound this winter.
Last month in Cleveland, thieves ripped out copper phone lines from the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge, severing power to some homes for nearly four days. Robbers have taken copper from the dome of St. Theodosius Orthodox Church and aluminum bleachers in Lorain. People have been killed in Kentucky, Indiana and elsewhere while trying to steal copper from transformers.
Cleveland Housing Court Judge Ray Pianka said thieves used to target only vacant homes, but now they rip off metal front doors while people are sleeping inside.
Just this week, Pianka met with Cleveland police to discuss, among other things, ways to combat scrap-metal thefts. Often the robbers break down doors to get inside and tear up walls and cabinets to get to the pipes, leaving homes worth only a fraction of their original value, he said.
Pianka said Lyons' idea has merit. "It would make parts of one's home less desirable," he said.
Lyons would like Cleveland City Council to pass legislation requiring scrap yards to cooperate, but he recognizes that thieves would probably just take the stolen metal to another city.
State Sen. Steve Stivers from Columbus is working on legislation that would require all sellers to produce valid identification at every Ohio scrap yard. Lyons hopes to interest the Republican senator in adding his idea to the legislation.
Lyons has already tested out the paint on some pipes. The application was easy and the paint lit up under a black light. After nearly 40 years in the real estate business, Lyons never thought he would be spray-painting pipes.
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To view an additional related article, please click here.
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