At the hearing, spokesmen representing scrap metal dealers told Lourie and two other lawmakers – Sens. Larry Martin, R-Pickens, and Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg – that they don’t object to a bill that would tighten restrictions.
"Looks like we’ll be moving forward," said Lourie later. He wants to get the bill through the full Judiciary Committee and on the Senate floor within the next few weeks.
More than 13,000 vehicles in South Carolina were stolen in 2010, according to the National Crime Insurance Bureau.
No one knows how many of those are sold to scrap metal dealers for cash, but nine of the top 10 stolen vehicles in South Carolina in 2010 were older than eight years – exactly the kind of vehicle that a thief with a hot car wouldn’t need a title to resell, according to the National Crime Insurance Bureau. Among the top stolen vehicles in South Carolina: 1993 Honda Accord, 1998 Ford F150, 1999 Chevy Pickup, 1999 Ford Crown Victoria, 1996 Ford Explorer, 1996 Camry and the 1998 Chevy Pickup.
Under current S.C. law, a person selling a car eight years old or older doesn’t have to show proof of ownership to a scrap metal dealer to sell it for hundreds of dollars – the heavier it is, the more money a seller can get. Current law allows dealers to shred an old car immediately.
Full story and copyright The Item scrap car bill moves forward
It is often surprising to find out how hard it is to dispose of an old car that has past it’s best, so for most there is only one solution, which is that lonely collection trip to the local breaker yard. But for some, who do not want any monetary reward for disposing their scrap car, there may be another option of the local Fire Service.
Clearly the fire brigade need to practice their operations at road accidents which involves cutting drivers and passengers from their vehicles, and most brigades relay on the generosity of the public to donate their old scrap cars. Often the fire brigade can get a supply of vehicles from the police collecting vehicles that have road tax outstanding on them, but this is not a foregone conclusion and so goes out calls of charity to owners looking to dispose of their vehicle.
One such Fire Brigade is based in West Sussex and have recently appealed for cars for numerous stations across that region to help with training related to road traffic accidents. This training can mean the difference of life or death, such the brigade will not offer money for the cars, but are prepared to collect them for free and will of course ensure all the correct documentation is completed.
If you have a car to donate, you can contact the West Sussex Fire Brigade at this number 01243 642880
Hampton was in a Dodge Neon with about 400 pounds of orange-colored metal and was in the process of being weighed at the scrap yard when deputies began questioning him.
Hampton told officers he had gotten the metal from his father.
After an initial investigation, detectives found that the stolen steel frame supports had been taken from LKQ Auto Parts at 4995 S. Main St.
An arrest report said Hampton admitted to going to the business on three separate occasions to take metal. He later told officers that he had been there as many as 10 times, each time taking about 500 to 600 pounds of metal.
Deputies went with Hampton back to the business to return the stolen metal.
Hampton told detectives during the delivery that he “was not a bad thief.”
Detectives contacted local scrap yards and found that Hampton had sold metal to Holmes on three previous incidents. He also sold metal to T.H. Davis nine other times.
Full story Salisbury Post 28 year charged on 20 Felonies in metal theft
Sarah Jane Lattin served four years of active duty at Malmstrom Air Force Base and has been a member of the Montana Air National Guard for two years. She has a 2-year-old son and a 1-year-old daughter.
In her application for the car, Lattin wrote: “I am trying to find a car so that I can get a job without needing to get a ride or borrow an unreliable car. A Charity Car would not only benefit me, but it will benefit my little family, too.”
The auto-body shop will present the compact SUV to Lattin and her children in a ceremony and reception at 917 Central Ave. at 10 a.m., Monday, Jan. 30.
The project is part of the National Auto Body Council.
Full story Great Falls Tribune From a Wreck To A Reliable Ride
It is estimated there are about 800 illegal yards operating in the UK, the same number as legal yards.
“I have seen advertisements indicating that some scrap metal yards are quite prepared to take things, and more or less say ‘no questions asked’,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday.
“They know perfectly well that handling stolen property is just as bad a crime and in fact has a bigger sentence …. than theft itself. If they know or suspect it is stolen property they should not be handling it.
“The industry should clean up its act. I think it is likely we will have to regulate and will have to improve the 1964 Scrap Metal Dealers Act, which colleagues have been saying is well past its sell by date.”
His comments come after The Daily Telegraph disclosed that metal theft has reached “epidemic” proportions in Britain with more than 1,000 offences taking place every week.
According to official figures obtained by this newspaper, the number of thefts has doubled in five years with 60,000 offences in the first 10 months of this year alone.
Thieves have targeted railway lines, church roofs, community centres, war memorials, irreplaceable works of art, manhole covers and even plaques in cemeteries.
Full story and copyright Telegraph scrap metal dealers fueling theft with no questions
There is something out of sync with breaker yards who sell recycled car parts and the scrap cars they strip to build their stock, notably the UK seasons. Spring is the peak time for used car parts, as vehicles start coming out of the garage, or maybe it is only when it is warm enough that many attempt DIY repairs. But in terms of acquiring vehicles, this stems from December though to February based on how cold it is.
Very often many people drive around in cars that need some love and attention, but as long as the car starts and gets them to their destination, nothing is done. Then comes that fault that requires some investment to put right and now their is a vehicle, where the cost of repair is more than its value. Winter tends to be when these more permanent faults occur, that converts daily transport into a scrap car, one very common issue is the cylinder head gasket.
If you research the breakdown cover companies most common call outs, once you get over the popular tyre and battery issues (which also increase during winter), you end up with cylinder head and clutch issues, being the most common forms of failure. Now there is a n increase of vehicles available for breaker yards to buy, but there should be no assumption of high prices. If you think about it, the biggest resalable item from any scrap car will be the engine, but if the reason for it being taken off the road is a cylinder head gasket, this needs repaired before resale.
In most cases it is just not worth it, so breaker yards are more likely to quote you scrap metal prices, rather than a vehicle that can be stripped down and all parts sold on. Clutch breakdowns may be a better bet, as these parts tend not to be sold second hand anyway.
“We do go out of our way to make sure that we do right by people.” Daniel Frank is the general manager and says they have been instrumental in helping catch metal thieves. “In the chance that we do acquire a stolen vehicle, we call the authorities, get them involved and track down the lying person who brought it in.”
To have a car scrapped, you have to either show proof of ownership, or fill out one of a state DMV document called an MV-37, stating the car was abandoned on your property. You’re also required to show a drivers license or passport. Ultimately that document led police to their suspects.
According to police reports, Brandon Capers is the man behind the scheme. While he hasn’t been charged with stealing Pecoraro’s vehicle, he is now serving time in state prison for a similar offense.
The report says Capers is believed to be “involved in bringing numerous stolen vehicles to local scrap yards.”
Also arrested was George Doerner, a man police say capers enlisted to fill out the DMVform in return for a small cut of the money.
Full story and copyright I team Investigation
“We are over the moon that a donation to Chestnut Tree House has helped Giveacar reach this important
milestone and on behalf of the children and families at the hospice, I would like to say a big thank you to Giveacar and to everyone who has made a donation to Chestnut Tree House in this way.”
Giveacar pioneered the idea of scrap car donation in the UK and has already supported the work of more than 450 charities, helping them to make a real difference to people’s lives both here and overseas. A not-for-profit company, Giveacar has raised over £85,000 for Cancer Research UK alone.
Giveacar’s manager, Alex Harvey, comments:
“We are thrilled that we have been able to raise £500,000 in such a short time.
Full story and copyright Honest John Give A Car
Figures have been revealed that show there are 100,000 cars on the road in London alone – one hundred thousand London scrap cars. However many of these cars are not actually driven to the increasing cost of running a vehicle. With the second hand car market currently in limbo as prices rise and fall many are looking into scrapping their vehicle, both for cash and ease.
Vehicles are usually designed to have a road life of around ten years, this figure however is currently falling due to the rapid advancements in the automotive sector. If you’re looking at Scrapping your vehicle in London, Manchester, Birmingham or anywhere else in the country it’s vital that you use a registered firm who can dispose of it correctly.
It’s estimated that 13 million vehicles are currently being held in unregistered dumps after being disposed of incorrectly – that’s a big error in scrap car disposal don’t you think?. Tyres and car fluids are the main source of concern for authorities as if disposed of incorrectly can have a massive effect on both the environment and health. One litre of oil incorrectly disposed of has the potential to infect 100 million litres of water that it is exposed to.
Firms that dispose of vehicles and materials correctly have been accredited by councils and local health authorities and should be able to show you their credentials. Dismantling and bailing (scrapping) a car is a lengthy and meticulous process. Almost 70% of a vehicles weight is made up of ferrous materials that must be disposed of correctly following procedures set by the Government and the EU.
Once the vehicle has been removed of all hazardous and disposable parts it will be harvested for parts that can be reused. Previously on metal parts would be taken, however the advancement in the production of plastics has meant that even bumpers and wing-mirrors can be taken and fitted to other vehicles. After all usable materials are taken from the vehicle it will then be declared as scrap and crushed or disposed of at an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) and ensures that scrap cars do not end up as hazardous waste as determined by the Environmental Agency.
Recycling has become a serious business, involving league tables and heavy legislation.
Data for England from the government’s WasteDataFlow database shows that recycling rates reached 37.6% for 2008/09, which marked a 3.1% increase on the 34.5% rate achieved in 2007/08. This reflected a slowing of the increases seen in previous years. To read more about league tables…
One of the key pieces of legislation is the Landfill Directive which sets targets for member states to reduce the amount of municipal biodegradable waste sent to landfill, with targets set for 2010, 2013 and 2020. In England, this has been implemented through the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme. To read more about