Here's a blog that came too close to home last night... a rehab home we've been working on just got the water meter installed on Monday, and my worker called me this morning to tell me that a copper thief had broken into the home last night, trashing the back door, and searching for copper pipe.

Lesson to be learned: I had my plumber install plastic pipe (called Pex) throughout the house, instead of copper, and all they could take was the 4 feet of copper pipe connecting the pex to the water heater.  Unfortunately, they damaged the new water heater, which will need to be replaced, and stole my 2 month-old jobsite radio/battery charger.  Good news, they couldn't take all of the plumbing, (we usually use copper throughout) and they left other tools unharmed.  Bad news, a new water heater, door, and radio are needed.

I have heard of horror stories about copper theft... and they are out there.  Pex is more expensive sometimes, but it ended up saving me loads of time, money, and grief.  Now, I'm sold on it.  Forget the copper.

Jeff Lund

Five Star Real Estate

Investment Property Specialist

jefflund@grar.com

 
Posted by Jeff Lund on 03/26/2008 06:14 PM   Comments (13)  
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Post is included in group: Active Rain Investor Group

13 Comments on Copper pipe theft- I just got robbed last night!

MAR
26
2008
1 Featured Post
We have had more incidents of copper theft from houses being forclosed on here as well. Plus the vacant homes are being broken into and used for drug labs or just living. Tough times brings out the worse in many people
6:20pm • #1
INteresting post and I think I will go with the non-copper----these crazies , you never know when they will hit close to home.
6:25pm • #2
Hi Jeff, I am sorry to hear about the break in. That stinks! You never know what people are thinking when they do stupid stuff like that. Do they need it? Is it just for thrills? Either way, I hope it doesn'e happen to you again.

Good luck!
6:26pm • #3
256,188 Points Outside Blog
I'm sorry to hear about the copper theft.  I'll have to remember the plastic pipe when rehabbing our homes.  Take care!
6:29pm • #4
558,761 Points Localism Sponsor Outside Blog
Jeff- I have heard of builders having the copper stolen when building homes, but this is the first on an existing home.
6:36pm • #5
3 Featured Posts

                  Jeff,

                  Plastic pipe seems to not be on a thief's list at this time.

                  Last summer, I was having Verizon install a new FIOS system in my home.  Everything is going along fine until the phone company wants to hook up the new lines to the existing lines located on the wood phone polls. Seems someone had stolen over 400 feet of copper wiring that was bundled around the "top" of the poll.  This was 20 feet off the ground....And so it goes...

        

7:13pm • #6
APR
02
2008
7 Featured Posts

Hey Jeff!

This is my very first comment on Active Rain.  I have a lot of learning to do.

That is a drag on the copper!  What will people think of next and does any one have a conscience?

Tami
7:27pm • #7
1 Featured Post

Jeff - Sorry about your loss. I think anyone who has invested in real estate to any extent for any length of time has experienced something similar. I lost an expensive miter saw, compressor, and other tools on a rehab job a few years ago, and I've had the copper thieves find my projects, too. 

I have a friend in Omaha who has started Rehab Guard (www.rehabguard.com if you're interested), which is a temporary security system for rehab projects. The alerts go to the police and directly to your cell phone. It sounds pretty cool, and if you've experienced a loss, it might be worth considering.

Ken Tharp, Iowa Equity Exchange (and long-time investor) 
9:27pm • #8
APR
03
2008
256,188 Points Outside Blog

Hey, Tami!  Welcome to Active Rain!  :)

10:47am • #10
249,448 Points 1 Featured Post Outside Blog
We rehab rentals all the time and they also take appliances, carpet, windows.  You have to lock everything up and do not store tools at a vacant property.
11:34am • #11
In a new construction house we were building a so called "copper thieve" came and snipped all the excess wiring in the outlets and by the service panel. Things got interesting after that. 
2:49pm • #12
129,391 Points 4 Featured Posts

Aloha Jeff,

In Hawaii, cooper thieves have stolen wiring from street lights amounting in hundreds if not millions of dollars, leaving miles of highway in the dark.

3:01pm • #13
JAN
05
2011
189,298 Points
Theft of copper wiring and plumbing, along with air conditioner coils is now worse than ever in our community! I had two seperate nursing homes hit, a couple of restaurants, a couple of night clubs, a convenience store, and to add to it, assumeably the homeless burned down a house they kept breaking in to and sleeping, while the homeless shelter/soup kitchen was giving away 900 to 1,000 free Christmas lunches according the the article on the front page of the local telegram, right next to a picture of my listing burning. Passerbyer called in flames from roof at 1:45PM Christmas Day! It is now scheduled to be torn down. None of this mentions stolen lawn mowers, air compressors, engine lifts, jack hammers, etc from storage sheds to front porches!
6:24am • #14


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Jeff Lund

Grand Rapids, MI

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Jeff Lund-Income Property Specialist- Bellabay Realty LLC

Address: P.O. box 726, Rockford, MI, 49341

Cell Phone: (616) 540-0044

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