Copper Stripped from House on Meadowbrook

Scrap metal thieves hit a house in the northwest corner of Stow recently, ripping out copper piping for resale.

The house at 1517 Meadowbrook Blvd. went to a Summit County Sheriff's Sale in 2011 and is owned now by AltiSource Portfolio Solutions.

Joseph Lutz, an employee of the firm, reported finding the stolen copper to Stow Police on March 26.

Lutz said the house has been vacant for months.

"That copper could have been stolen 13 months ago or five months ago," he said. "Or it could have been done when the homeowners moved out. Who knows when it was actually stolen."

The thieves took water lines, electrical wire and piping cut out of the garage.

It's not an uncommon type of theft, as Lutz said he's reported several similar thefts from foreclosed houses in Summit and Stark counties in the past few months.

"The longer they all sit, the more often it’s going to happen," he said.

Scrap yards in Northeast Ohio are paying anywhere from $2 to $3 and up for scrap copper.

At City Scrap and Salvage Co. in Akron they are paying $3.05 per pound for copper free of debris and $2.70 per pound for copper with paint and other materials on it.

Randy Katz, the manager at City Scrap, said they work closely with area police departments to try and track stolen copper and catch thieves.

"We have a very extensive process we go through," Katz said.

Area police departments will send reported copper theft information to Katz, who distributes it to scrap yard managers throughout the region. He also works closely with the Institue of Scrap Recycling Industries to track copper thefts.

You can report a scrap metal theft on the City Scrap website.