No AC…bummer

[dt]

Egad…can’t bear to head into work this morning. Night before last, some thieves came into our office park and stole all the air conditioning condensers from six of the seven office buildings. A dentist’s building they spared was right on Fletcher so their thievery would have been highly visible. We had three condensers on our building alone. Christ! They’re huge things; must have had a tractor trailer to take them all. Guess they sell the copper. Cops said the max they get is $75 each. Hmm. Still need to go to work though. Definitely a bummer in this weather. 

[dcameras]

That is definitely a bummer!!! I hope they catch the ones that did it. Just think, they might get 400-500 dollars from their thievery  but to repair the units probably will cost at least 10 times that. 

[dt]

...they might get 400-500 dollars from their thievery  but to repair the units probably will cost at least 10 times that. 

Found out yesterday our place alone is fifteen grand. Apparently they were Freon units and those can't be sold or installed anymore, so they have to replace all three complete systems. Glad we're tenants!

[dcameras]

WOW!!! That really sucks!! Maybe insurance covers something like that...

I hope they catch the people that did that and make an example of them. People like that don't think about and probably don't care who gets hurt because of their actions.   

[mrbones]

Wow, too bad. Tough to work in this heat.

The stolen systems were probably R22 freon units, and yep, while they can still be serviced, you can't install new ones. The new units will still use freon, just a different type.

Try and stay cool!

[dt]

Forty years ago, we got along perfectly fine without air conditioners. Even after walking barefoot ten miles to and from school every day, uphill…both ways.

[mrbones]

We don't need desktop computers either. Back in the day, we got along just fine without them.

[dt]

We don't need desktop computers either. Back in the day, we got along just fine without them.

“The computer was invented to solve problems that did not exist before.”
– Bill Gates

[dt]

My landlord and his wife are lawyers. I'll bet they find a way to inflict a little more justice on young mr poe. 

_____________________________________

Tampa man arrested, charged 61 times in air conditioner metal thefts
By Marissa Lang, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Aug 19, 2011 12:22 PM

TAMPA — Police arrested a 25-year-old man they said robbed tens of thousands of dollars in metal parts from air conditioners around the city.

Joshua Damien Poe of 1701 Skipper Road was arrested at his home Thursday afternoon and charged in numerous cases of criminal mischief, dealing in stolen property, grand theft and defrauding a secondary metal recycler.
Deputies estimated Poe's actions resulted in a total loss of $74,500 among 23 businesses. His arrest brought to close a two and a half week-long Sheriff's Office investigation.

Poe remained in Hillsborough County Jail in lieu of $210,000 bond on a total of 61 offenses. Poe's method in each instance was much the same, deputies said. First, he would dismantle the air conditioning units, then he would take out the internal parts for copper scrapping, deputies said. Once he had the metal in hand, Poe exchanged the stolen property for U.S. currency at licensed recycling locations, deputies said. While robbing the metal materials from air conditioners, Poe damaged several local buildings by pulling out units and breaking pieces of the structures, deputies said. According to an arrest affidavit, Poe told admitted to dismantling air conditioning units for their metal contents.


http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/tampa-man-arrested-charged-61-times-in-air-conditioner-metal-thefts/1186845