Over the past few years, the St. Louis Board of Alderman have debated the prospected of a vacant property registration system numerous times. One bill almost passed about a year ago. Not taking no for an answer, Alderwoman Kacie Starr Triplett brought the issue back up recently. The new bill corrected many of the issues with the previous versions, but many in the real estate industry felt the bill still had unfair aspects.

Apparently, the Board of Alderman did not agree. I have been unable to officially verify this, or who specifically voted for it, but the bill passed this morning. From now on, whenever a property is vacant in the City of St. Louis for at least six months, and has recorded code violations, it must be registered with the City. The owner must provide their contact info and pay an annual $200 fee.  The provided information will then be placed on a  publicly available database. There will be some exceptions to this, but I still don’t know at this point if there were any last minute alterations to the bill before it was passed. Check back for more details and implications soon.

For more, check out the official Bill #322 website.

I know I am preaching to the choir here, but the looting in our area seems to be getting worse all the time. Whether the target is scrap or antiques, its running rampant. Most of the time, the cost is economic, but sometimes the cost is much higher. Unfortunately, this is a pretty egregious case of the latter. Read more

This isn’t exactly breaking news, but I thought I should share some info about a St. Louis City Bill (Board Bill 174) that could have a direct affect on City investors. This bill was introduced in July to the Board of Alderman by Alderwoman Triplett and Alderman Kennedy. Here is the summary of the bill as it was presented in July: Read more

If you read this blog often you know how much of a concern I consider copper theft. These guys rob investors blind and the world seems to be unable to stop them. Most of the time. Every now and then these crooks get caught. Read more

I saw this painted on the front of a building on the 37XX block of Pennsylvania this morning and thought it really summed up the current copper theft situation. On one hand the message is funny, while on the other its just sad.

I’m never one to advocate for the government to get involved in peoples lives, but this theft has to stop. This is beyond a local issue. We need to get scrap yards in both Missouri and Illinois to stop the flow of this stolen copper. This don’t ask, don’t tell policy on where scrap comes from and who is collecting it has to come to an end.

Just when it seemed that increased security measures at local scrap yards were having a positive effect on copper theft, spring had to hit. Over the winter, even buildings that weren’t secured properly seemed to be holding onto their copper longer than usual. In the past couple of weeks, as the temperatures have been rising, I have defintely noticed an increase in theft of copper in St. Louis City properties. Read more

*NOTE – This article was originally written in February of 2007 for the newsletter.

There is a plague afflicting the St. Louis area. This onslaught is indiscriminate in choosing victims. Businesses, residences, apartments, even churches are not safe from the salivating jaws of this beast. Keep on the lookout for the copper thief.

Everyone seems to agree that the surge in copper prices from $.50 a pound to over $3.00 has caused a major surge in copper theft. Whether by stealth, trickery or reckless abandon, copper thieves have been ransacking our area. Copper pipes, electrical wiring and old gutters are especially vulnerable targets.

Many residents blame the continual climb in theft on an inept police force or dismissive neighbors. But there is no way you can pin this on them. It would be impossible to have eyes on every potential theft target at all times. There isn’t enough manpower. Even if there was, in a city with so many rehabs going on at any given time, thieves posing as contractors can too easily gain hassle-free access to vulnerable areas.

Preventative measures are not the key to solving this issue. If we really want to stop the thieves, we need to cut off their buyers: scrap yards. These businesses serve a necessary and functional purpose, but more has to be done to prevent this theft. Perhaps scrap buyers should only pay sellers by check and keep drivers license records of all sellers? Perhaps scrap yards who knowingly buy from thieves should face stiffer fines. Regardless of the path to be taken, there must be action.

Protect yourself. Take a stand. Call your local alderman (search for your alderman) and scrap yards today and demand that they fix this problem. We need to be fostering a hospitable environment for developers and residents not robbing them blind.

Notable scrap yards in close proximity:

- Ace Scrap Metals, 5900 Manchester, St. Louis
- Top Metal Buyers, 808 Walnut, East St. Louis
- Cash’s Scrap Metal, 300 E. Nagel, St. Louis

*Check out my previous blog entry, “Stopping Copper Thieves: What can you do?” for tips on protecting yourself.

*NOTE – This article was originally written in October of 2006 for the newsletter.

Salvage yards across St. Louis rarely ask where their customers get the scrap metal they bring in. That’s a shame, because they might be getting it from YOU! Copper thieves can turn a great rental or rehab building into a nightmare. Replacing the pipes can be costly and time consuming. Water damage caused by the resulting leaks can be even worse.

Other than standing guard 24/7, there is no failsafe way to eliminate this threat. There are, however, steps that you can take, which can make your property a less attractive target:

• Paint your exposed pipes - One method, which can be extremely effective, is to paint the exposed copper piping throughout your property. A good coat of spray paint can be the most cost effective method to copper theft deterrence. Salvage yards will not accept copper if it is painted. They only way thieves could get money for your painted copper, would be to undergo the time-prohibitive process of stripping off the paint.

• Good exterior lighting – Although not really that helpful against daytime thieves, good exterior lighting can make your property a lesser target. Motion detector lights are often the best choice. These lights will help cut back on electricity costs and light pollution, but still offer added security.

• Quality locks – To get to your copper, a thief has to gain access to the property. That’s where the locks come in. If all entryways into the property are secured with single and deadbolts, their job will be a lot harder.

• Secure basement windows – One of the most often overlooked trouble spots are your basement windows. The basement windows in most older houses usually have thin glass and are made of wood. If this is the case at your property, you should consider replacing or sealing off the trouble windows.