Copper Pipe Theft in Haverhill as Copper Prices Rise Again

Copper pipe theft from vacant properties became a serious problem in 2008.  This story from the Eagle Tribune reports that copper pipe thefts are increasing, as a dip in copper prices over the winter has ended and prices for copper are on the rise.  The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® addressed this problem by meeting with Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley last fall to seek legislative solutions to prevent copper pipe theft.  This Eagle Tribune article reports examples of the problem; and here is a summary of the Attorney General’s legislation, which is strongly supported by REALTORS®.

Abandoned Property Registry/Copper Pipe Theft Prevention: H.2218 - The Community Leadership, Neighborhood-Revitalization and Urban-Violence Protection Act of 2009

Vacant houses are an increasing concern in many communities of the Commonwealth. Many fall into disrepair, attract crime, and create safety issues in neighborhoods down with them. Further, metal piping and other fixtures are stolen from the structure, thus making its title unmarketable for mortgage loan qualification purposes. And the problem is becoming widespread, hurting home values in neighborhoods in which thefts occur. 

H.2218 seeks to halt and reverse this problem with a 2-prong approach:

1.  State Abandoned Housing Registry. The primary difficulty in ensuring that vacant properties are kept in decent condition lies in the difficulty in locating their owners, who are responsible for keeping their property up to Code and preventing it from becoming a public nuisance. In response to the growing foreclosure/vacancy problem, some cities have enacted local ordinances requiring the registration of vacant properties. However, there is no state law with a single, unified Registry.

H.2218 creates a 2-year pilot program establishing a state-wide vacant and foreclosed property registry housed within the Attorney General’s Office that will require all property owners, including lenders, trustees and service companies, to register and properly maintain vacant and foreclosed properties.

2.  Licensing Scrap/Junk Dealers. Vacant houses are easy prey for copper thieves. When the piping - including gas lines - is ripped out of a house, it loses significant value, and banks are unable to grant conventional mortgage loans for such a property. What makes the copper theft problem difficult to cure is the fact that the thieves rapidly liquidate their booty through scrap/junk dealers who, under the current statutory framework, are not required to keep such records as would help law enforcement to shut down this criminal enterprise. H.2218 seeks to create a state-wide “Second Hand Metal Registry.” This registry will assist in revitalizing our neighborhoods by providing law enforcement with sufficiently detailed transaction information to keep scrap metal thieves out of business and out of houses, helping to ensure that vacant properties will be sold and re-occupied sooner than later.

Status of Bill: Before the Joint Committee on Public Safety & Homeland Security.
Action Needed: Strongly urge your legislators to vote “YES” if this bill comes up for a vote.