Did I break the Rules / Code or help the community?

[99problems]

sorry for the book
Ok well I am still very new to this. Still havent taken in a load yet to actually cash out yet. The other day I was in a close by subdivision that I would say is no older than 9 or 10 years old. I pass by a house with the grass grown up and a large roll off dumpster in the drive way. Since i never walked into yards to get stuff. I just passed it by. A few days later i passed the same house and I see a large (maybe 50-60 inch) projection tv in the drive way next to the dumpster. Initially i keep going, but i come back and take the brave move to walk up to the door and ring the doorbell. On the door I am reading a sticker that said something like. we found this property vacant. the mortgage holder has the right to protect this property which includes re-keying.... To me it sounds like it was foreclosed on, or something like that. Keep in mind it was about 9am, so i went back to the car got my cordless drill and started breaking it down in the driveway and throwing the pieces into the dumpster as i go. Took about 15 minutes to break it down to get what i wanted, and finally get the cabinet over my head so i could toss it into the dumpster that was probably atleast 9 feet high. I was thinking thank goodness sony had the awareness to make their cabinet plastic. I probably wouldnt have been able to get particle board up and over with my bad knee.

Overall i felt i left it looking a little better, with neighbors not having to look at a big tv sitting in driveway next door ( although there is still the issue of the dumpster and the overgrown grass. ) But wasnt sure if this has a chance of coming back to bite me if a suspicious neighbor called in my tag info etc. On one hand it wasnt like i was gonna be able to track down the bank that held the mortgage, actually get to a person who would say its ok to take trash from property; all before somebody else came by and got the tv and broke it down. So my question is How bad did I mess up, or was it perfectly acceptable?

[greytruck]

Not on curb not game. Not to be a jerk, but lets say someone came on your " property " and took your big screen tv from your driveway. Careful man

[pcscrapper]

I would really becareful like greytruck said.. the reason why.. let per say.. someone moved the tv out there and they... had to run and get sumthing from a neighbor or sumthing and they came back and it was busted.. they be a little upset and You be going uhhh.. openly wallet.. how much dude..

so .. if its not on the curb which is city own.. don't touch it.. asked before You take.. and You shall recv.

Have a good one.. and don't fret too much about it.. just think twice next time.. you alright..

[BurlyGuys]

http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/day-l...-criminal.html

[Libertytow]

Bad move
1 i do house cleanouts for bankc no electroincs in dumpsters
2 i put stuff ont he sides of dumnpsters to get later cop[per lead metals statedalready reserved for later
3 depending on the contractor wrongful tresspass

generallyt yht rule of ask frist or no talk no touch applies on reo properties as fasrt as the neighbor ni wouldn"t worry to much but i wouldn"t make it a habit

if theat were one of my work orders i"ld be pissed though

[Kochy]

Always ask. I had a bad experience when I first start scrapping. Thought some dumped some water heaters next to the road when I was loading em the property owner showed up. he didn't call the cops, he called his buddy who was a cop. I only got a warning cause the property owner had a heart since I returned the items. Always ask before take , just like the cookie jar.

[waredu]

Theft = taking something that doesn't belong to you without anyone's permission. This wasn't yours, you took it, and you didn't have permission.

[volvoscrapper]

keep this up and you'll be known as "100problems" by mid afternoon

[Wolfwerx]

I'm a regular "curb shopper" and my personal rules of thumb are these: If I can't reach it with one foot still touching the curb, then it's probably not smart to reach for it at all. If it's not piled in with other garbage, then I probably shouldn't consider it garbage. If it's in a can/bin marked with a trash company's branding, then it's a no-go, no matter what.

Of course, some things are very obviously intended for garbage that may be sitting in a driveway. If I want it badly enough, I'll knock on the door and ask. Aside from propriety, this "opens the door" (sorry for the pun) to asking if there are any other scrap materials. If nobody answers, then I move on empty-handed. Not worth getting busted for anything that could fit in my van.



In your particular situation, it may be a bigger problem that you put stuff into that dumpster. I would suspect that somebody was trying to dump their old TV in there, and it was too heavy so they just left it in the driveway. When you started putting stuff into that dumpster, you put yourself at risk for "dumping" on property that wasn't yours. Of course I'm making some assumptions, but I think that's a pretty realistic scenario.
As others have said: you were in the wrong, here. I suspect that any chance of fallout is pretty slim, though.

[MattInTheHat]

Semi-related...KIDS BIKES.

I will only take bikes if they are in a trash pile or marked free. Kids leave bikes everywhere, and its not worth the trouble to grab the wrong one.

[Ecycle Atlanta]

One of the biggest temptations you will find is being able to pass up "opportunities". I've been to many yards where they have good equipment (green circuit boards, for instance), sitting on a pile of scrap metal. I talk to the boss, explain what they are worth, etc. etc. and they just don't want to deal with it. I have to walk away with that visual in my rear view mirror, knowing that there is money being flushed down the toilet. In your case, you were probably correct in all your assumptions, and even made the effort to knock. But at some point you have to just walk away from it before your "find" turns into a nightmare. Its a hard lesson to learn, but better to figure it out on your own instead of in the back of a police cruiser.

[newattitude]

you might just have to rename yourself ''100problems'' if you get in trouble for that.

[happyscraper]

One of things that give scrappers a bad name is braking things down on someone's property. Take the scrap that you get home or too your shop to brake it down. By me throwing trash in a dumpster that is not yours is a 500.00 fine. Taking something that is not yours without permission is stealing. All of these things are not condoned on this forum.

[robsrecycling]

my opinion is that the tv was junk and they just didn't wanna put it in the dumpster. but at least where I am dumpsters in driveways are fee game unless posted. but yes if its not on the curb don't take it. advice is to keep stickits in your car.leave a sticky on the item or the door with a number. and never ever break items down on property people get upset. truthfuly tho if this was a one time thing we all have made mistakes. I made one right after I started but it was hard to pass up lol .was a apartment building and in the middle of the yard (they were doing renovations). was 12 window ac units all older .mixed in with random junk lumber, carpet and garbage bags.i stopped by one night and took them all. I felt bad for not knowing .but due to the location I assumed they were scrap.but like I sied im sure we have all made some questionable choices

[Sirscrapalot]

We all make mistakes. You've been properly chastised by the class, go forth an sin no more!

Learning from our mistakes is key to not making them again. ( Sirscrapalotism!)

Good luck 99!

Sirscrapalot - It is the highest form of self-respect to admit our errors and mistakes and make amends for them. To make a mistake is only an error in judgment, but to adhere to it when it is discovered shows infirmity of character. - Dale Turner

[Tcgs]

I think your conscience has told you what is right and what was wrong.

First thing I noticed is, you were breaking it down right there????? Id be mad if I lived on that street for many reasons.

[cummins]

Semi-related...KIDS BIKE
I will only take bikes if they are in a trash pile or marked free. Kids leave bikes everywhere, and its not worth the trouble to grab the wrong one.

X2...... I drive by um all the time, but only stop unless they are on or in the garbage

[99problems]

ok, well i guess if i run up on a similiar situation i wouldnt do it again. I will probably run acrosss other times when I might be doing something a little risky, and i will try to go by some of the suggestions i saw in this post to make up my own personal code. thanks

[cummins]

Dude... you F"ed up lol

Short n sweet

[Libertytow]

Like a midget covered in honey