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I was given brand new 500-750 MCM bare bright copper wire a thousand pounds of it is it stolen it is a very rare thing for that to happen but the truth is that's what happened it was given to me it was extra copper on a monumental job and the jobs close down when the company bankrupt in the owner of the company gave it to me I'm afraid to try to sell to a scrap yard because I think it stolen what do i do and how can I prove that its not gfs
If it's stolen, I'd go to the police immediately. Now, if you're unsure, I have no clue how to prove it. Maybe the police could tell you if there was copper wire reported stolen from that jobsite?
First of all, please use punctuation. It's extremely hard to read your text. Secondly, in my opinion, get a letter from the owner of the company on company letterhead stating that he was the lawful owner and transferred ownership of the material to you. Fancy speak for he had the right to give it to you legally. Then sell it. That should cover you legally if there are consequences later.
But, if this was brand new copper wire from a job site, why aren't you trying to sell it to another job site to be used as copper wire? Why scrap it at all?
Is it stolen? I don't know, you should know about the source of all scrap metal before you take possession (possession of anything), selling stolen property is no different than stealing it in my thought process. Do what you want, everything comes out of the wash eventually somewhat clean. Dirty laundry stinks in my way of life, others seem to like dirt, to me they are always just a little more dirty each and every day. Whats a little more dirt?
Businesses that go bankrupt don't normally have a option, to give anything away. Their creditors (the people they owe, those that won't be getting what is owed to them) don't normally allow a bankrupt company to sell anything. They get a court order and take possession of all assets, including all "scrap" that can be sold. Nobody gives a thousand dollars worth of anything away! You must have been a very special worker, did other workers get these type of rare and special gifts?
Do pigs fly?
It definitely wasn't stolen and I don't want to deal with the hassle of running around from job site to job site if I locate them and having a bidding war I work during the day to 10 hours a day I don't have the time to be lugging around a thousand powers of pounds of copper wire nevermind the fact that I'll be at work during the day I just wanted to get rid of it as quickly as possible to make a quick buck I was just wondering if there somehow proving it its not stolen for example if one of them was stolen there would be some sort of records of a certain amount of copper wire being stolen I just was wondering if there somehow I can show that its not stolen copper wire
When I wrote my first thread I accidentally put it is stolen I meant to put it isn't stolen so just wanted to clarify it it was given to me by a friend whose company went bad and had to file for bankruptcy . He was having problems paying all of his workers and being as close as I was to him I decided to tell him not to pay me give it to me in the future use my pay to help p the other workers at the end of all this the only thing he was able to give me was a $1,500 roll of high and copper wire to make up for letting him not pay me. I'm going back to my original question I just was wondering if there somehow some way that you can tell it its not stolen his their database out there is there records of some sorts
obviously if somebody calls the police files a report pertaining to stolen copper .somehow someway I was just looking for some advice or tips to prove that it isn't stolen
I am not aware of a database of copper. There may be an internal record in the company, but if they've gone bankrupt, that opens up an entire Pandora's box.
ScrapTheftAlert
This is for our members down under; Report Stolen Materials
I believe this one's from Britain: BMRA Stolen Metals Alerts
From the UK: Scrap Watch
* Metals Theft Law Database
http://www.govtech.com/public-safety...-Database.html
Thank you Yahoo search,,,
Selling scrap metal is different from region to region, scrap yards have their rules to buy, establish by lessons learned the hard way usually. Cities and Counties have laws and ordinances that govern the way all businesses are operated. States have a higher set of rules and laws that a business that wants to stay in business must follow.
Bankruptcy is a set legal operating procedure, used by courts to minimize the losses of a identity that is no longer fiscally sound (businesses, groups, person(s) that can't pay what is owed to others). This procedure is a well established "law of the land" that is administrated by state and federal courts. A court ordered administrator(s) is appointed, the "will" of the previous controllers or managers of all activity is almost always limited, restricted or eliminated, depending on the type of court approved bankruptcy procedure. Locks are changed and new keys issued to the new responsible manager(s) to limit further losses.
Maybe he couldn't pay you, because he wasn't allowed to, by any method, without a courts authority, makes this copper for pay highly questionable. When the bean counters (accountants) start counting (they will start counting), they will start with a "paper trail". This paper trail (written records) can be found in a lot of ways and places. A professional accountant (pro bean counter), will know how to expose most activity. They usually don't catch all of the off-the-books acts of desperation, but they catch enough to figure out fact or fiction.
What state are you in? In my state (California) we have laws that would make it hard (not impossible) for anyone to sell large amounts of copper. A thousand pounds of "scrap" copper is going to get attention and should. The city I live in (Chino) requires the police to review all scrap yards in city limits weekly (can't count the number of times I have witnessed this). They start with all, unknown source of scrap metal, any suspicious scrap sources flagged by PD at the scrap yard and placed on a police hold, stays at the yard until investigation is done (can be awhile). This will usually tie up a scrap yards other legally obtained source of scrap, with scrap metal prices changing constantly, no reputable scrap yard needs or wants unknown sources of scrap metal!
As you put it, "you just want to get rid of it as quickly as possible and make a fast buck", I'm pretty sure that won't happen with the yards I sell to. Maybe because your a specially hard working person that was given a thousand pounds of scrap copper, because the boss is broke, so he paid you in copper, just might work for you.
Is this normal or "rare"? Must be legit, your telling this story, why not?
I doubt a yard would touch that from a regular joe walk in.I know my yard would have you finger printed, ID copied, cops called just to make sure there hasn't been any large amounts of copper being stolen, an then would likely still turn you down just not to deal with the hassle in the even it does come up stolen.
Ask your friend for a letter on the company paper work saying it's yours, an all that legal mumbojumbo. Maybe then a yard wouldn't be as worried or another buyer. I understand your friend's company went belly up but surely he still has some company letterhead/paperwork, etc.
You could also try selling to another contractor if it's not been used or abused, an you can get that letter. :) I fear without paperwork your pretty much up the proverbial creek without a paddle on this one.
What do I know tho, I just smash computer an **** for a living.
Sirscrapalot - Ninety nine problem an possible stolen copper isn't one of them. - Eazy E or some other famous person who's line I butchered. Deal with it. :)
One thing..........If you were to ask the company's creditors if you can have the copper, they'd say NO.
Second...............If your friend who gave it to you were to end up in court, he might be under oath to reveal that you received the copper.
Third.................Those who would like to take your copper will lie under oath, make you look like a thief and crook without any remorse.
My advice.........Keep your mouth shut, sit on it even if it takes years and wait out the pending / possible action /litigation that will arise. When the coast is clear, walk with it. Don't expect the "law" to act in your favor, as we have nothing more than a "legal system".....not a justice system. Been there.
:(
Agreed- I wouldn't try to sell it in the near future. If 5 or 10 years goes by and nobody's contacted you about it, then odds are that everything was probably legit. Of course, you'd still have 1000# of copper, which would make any yard suspicious....
I think that booch was working for someone who was a contractor for someone else - 'The big guy'.
Now, 'The big guy went into bankruptcy and stopped paying the contractor booch worked for.
But, the contractor did get paid various amounts and part of that money paid for supplys, part of those supplys was "The Copper".
The contractor, having no or little money, paid out his workers when/wherever he could, but was left with this 'Copper.
Now the contractor still owes booch, but booch has not got as much overheads as the other workers and wanted the contractor to pay those with overheads first, Nice guy.
And, booch also knows the scrapmetal side of things, boochs boss knows this, and so he offered booch this scrap- but new- Copper in lieu of wages owed. Nice guy for doing that.
Now booch wants to make 100% sure that no ones going to get 'burnt' with this scrap Copper....
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So, my thoughts. Its legal Copper. His boss did not go bankrupt, the top company did. before that though, that company did pay for things that boochs boss needed as a contractor, the Copper was part of this.
Boochs boss owns it. The top company shorted boochs boss and he has not got the money to pay his workers now.
So he has offered booch the Copper as wages.
1. Now, yep you don't want to get in trouble, or anyone else in trouble. So I would put the Copper aside for a while, quite a while, when Copper prices improve.
2. What form is the Copper wire in?
I know certain forms of wire are distinct to certain companys. These companys are the only companys that use this sort of wire, no one else does ever. These companys also scrap all of their own scrap.
So this certain wire will Never end up in a public scrapyard. If it does, its been illegally obtained and the scrapyard knows this and has to report it to the authoritys.
This is where booch can get in trouble.........
The rest I leave up to booch.
I was talking to an employee at a scrap yard years ago and saw several big reels of copper that had red tags on them. I questioned him about the copper and he said when they receive what they consider suspicious copper they tag it and get the police involved to see if it's stolen. This yard gives you a receipt for your copper and you can have a check mailed to you or come back in 5 days to pick it up. If everything's cool you get your check.
Who in their right mind would ever take 1000 pounds of perfectly good, I'm assuming on reels, wire to a scrapyard? You're asking for trouble unless you can prove it's not stolen.
You may as well go in waving a big red flag if you decide to try to sell it.
Booch, maybe you should give the copper back to the guy, and have him scrap it, and then give you the money.
agree with above. it seems questionable at best. either get the paperwork or be very careful what you do. a few dollars or 1500 of them in this case isnt worth the lawyers fees.
if you can get the paperwork then sell first as more than scrap if possible. not sure how specialized the wire is if at all but am sure you are not the only ones using it. then worry about scrapping it.
Strip it and take it to the yard bit by bit as long as u have used the yard before u should be OK if not sit on it for a short time see what happens if u won't to ship it to me and I will strip it for u lol
List it for sale in the business or service section of CraigsList if it is indeed not stolen.Quote:
Originally Posted by Booch0125
Assuming everything here has been done legitimately, I wouldn't scrap it. I'd take it by sever electricians and ask what they would be willing to pay for it. If that didn't pan out. I would cut it into 4 or 5 foot lengths and throw in 50 or 60 pounds every time I went to the yard. The best thing to do is, like everyone else has said, ask the owner of the company to sign a piece of company letterhead stating that he gave you this wire. Very few scrap yards around here will give you any trouble with proof like that.