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Vacant home vandalised

By Sue Riley

Real Estate Agent with RE/MAXPrestige

January 07, 2008 11:51 AM

I have a listing that is on a nice piece of property in the country.

I went to check on it recently to find, to my horror, that someone had stolen the A/C unit. All that was left was the condenser which was bolted to the plate. It is a manufactured home and they had pulled off the siding and got underneath the house.

It has now been discovered that they also broke open the back door and took wiring out of the fuse box.

I feel so bad for the owners. I could not believe that this has happened. Apparently there is a market for copper.

The A/C repair tech told me that they probably got about $80 for the copper that was stolen. I am amazed that someone would do so much damage for such a small return.

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Joey Remondino

RE/MAX Preferred Properties - Vienna, VA

Broker, GRI, E-Pro

Wow, thats not much money but I guess if you have non a nothing is good. Not much you could do about that one.

Jan 07, 2008 11:55 AM

Gary Bolen

McCall Realty - South Lake Tahoe, CA

CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information

Takes all kinds. What'd they get for all of it? a hundred bucks? that sure is the big time, huh?

Jan 07, 2008 11:58 AM

Brian Schulman

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA - Lancaster, PA

Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552

Sue, I have seen so much damage by vandals in my career that I am no longer shocked by it - but I still don't understand the mentality that would do such things.

Last year, someone cut all the copper plumbing out of one of my vacant listings.

Jan 07, 2008 11:59 AM

Michelle Way

AVALAR Pro Realty - Jackson, MS

ABR, GRI, WCR

Here in MS we are having a lot of Copper thieves. They even stole from the community center. Sad things is they might get paid 45.00 and its cost the owners 1000's

Jan 07, 2008 12:25 PM

Barbara S. Duncan

RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR

GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Welcome to the club. Copper theft is rampant. I think the police should zero in on the ones accepting the stolen copper and the theft would be cut way down!

Jan 07, 2008 12:38 PM

Hank Roeters

Platinum Partners Realtors - Darien, IL

In a nearby Town the copper downspouts where stolen right off the side of a Church. They won't make much money, but leave a lot of expense and damage for the property owner.

Jan 07, 2008 12:45 PM

Sue Riley

RE/MAXPrestige - Van Alstyne, TX

GRI

Joey, There was nothing that I could do you are right

Gary, This is what shocks me to, so much damage for so little return

Brian, It seems as though it is going on everywhere. I wonder if there are things that home owners should do to make the homes look lived in.

Barbara, The home owner has not had much success getting the sheriff to investigate

Michelle. I guess those that steal do not care about what they are putting the owners through.

Jan 07, 2008 12:47 PM

Jim Crawford

Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA

Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

Sorry to hear about your troubles! A few years ago it was not uncommon to see a "VACANT" sign on a property. Today they are an attractive nuisance inviting trouble. If a person tells the insurance company it is vacant, they want to cancel the policy! We are living in different times for sure.

Jan 07, 2008 01:19 PM

Trey Thurmond

BCR Realtors - College Station, TX

College Station , Texas Homes

Well I too discovered this week a window type ac unit had been taken...the jerks!

Jan 07, 2008 01:23 PM

Carol Smith

Casmi Photography - Mebane, NC

Sue,

We have a terrible problem here with that kind of activity. But the homes they are stripping are not in the country - they are right smack dab in the city! We've had quite a go round with this issue in regard to vacant investment properties waiting on tenants and abandoned homes due to the foreclosure issues. It's really disheartening to think that someone is so desperate that they will rip the wiring out of a house for money.

Jan 07, 2008 01:31 PM

Cindy Bryant

Redesign Etc. Home Staging - Houston, TX

"Houston Home Staging Pros"

It is really pathetic what people do!

Jan 07, 2008 03:12 PM

Darleen McCullen

Raleigh, NC

Broker - Raleigh, NC Real Estate

So sorry this happened to your client. I've heard that thieves sometimes take the A/C unit, but I had no idea it was for the copper.

Jan 07, 2008 03:23 PM

Sheila Moran

RE/MAX Access (Garden Ridge, San Antonio, New Braunfels) - New Braunfels, TX

SanAntonioSheila.com, RE/MAX Access, 210-32

It's amazing what hungry people will do, huh?

What a shame...

Dec 22, 2008 12:09 PM

Vacant home vandalised

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Sue Riley

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