Jackpot!

So, i've been passing this thing for a week and half thinking it was an old hvac unit, but didn't have the time or the extra hands needed to load it. Although I was sure that the a/c cores had already been stripped I figured it was worth driving back out with my partner and tossing it in the truck. Imagine our surprise when we realized it was a phone company junction box that had been hit by a car, they had already replaced it with a new one and this was just sitting there in the weeds. This thing is every bit of #400 of AL not to mention it has circuit boards an #1 and #2 copper in it. We are going to break it down this weekend. Cha Ching!

Did you ask the phone company if you could have it?

I hope so! lol we stood there for 15 minutes picking over it saying, what do you think, I don't know what do you think? lol! but the way we looked at it we didn't break in anything, the thing had been laying there for a week and a half, it was in the weeds way off the road and there was no signage on the box saying who to call, so.... I mean if I get a call tomorrow or deputies show up or something, I'll gladly take it back and unload it. But come sunday, if I aint heard nothing...That suckers gonna be in pieces!

Not to mention that it was pretty mangled already by the vehicle that smashed it.

There might be an ongoing insurance claim, now there's no proof for the phone company.

Why would it lay in the weeds for a week and a half? if they needed it for evidence wouldn't they have taken it back with them when they replaced it? If I am in the wrong, I WILL return it, guess I'll call my buddy at the phone co. tomorrow and find out.

Does it matter why it lay in the weeds for a week and a half? That doesn't necessarily mean it's finders keepers. If you can identify that it is a phone junction box - wouldn't that, by definition, mean it belonged to the phone company? It could lay there for years and still belong to the phone company. Even if it was laying on your land, that wouldn't make it yours - that's why phone companies (and gas, and electric, and cable) have easements. That gives them permission to go on your land and service their equipment.

Just wanna thank you guys for keepin it real and keepin me accountable. I talked to my buddy at the phone co. and he put me in touch with his boss, as it turns out there is an ongoing insurance thing going on, but the box was already supposed to have been picked up. I explained myself and offered to bring it to him since it was already in my truck. He was a very easy going fellow, when I got there we talked for several minutes, I handed him a business card, and he told me he was going to call me next week, he is supposed to have some servers and a smaller box after they get the salvagable parts out of it. So all in all, it turned out well! Thanks again guys!

Originally Posted by BurlyGuys

I love happy endings!!!

Me too! I'll bet that that little bit of honesty will payback long term more then that one box was worth.

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!! I did some telecomunication servers and such not this past winter, but winter before... the "modules" had 2 paper thin circuit boards, but the shell was cast aluminum and probably weighed at least 5 pound each... there could have been up to 20 or more of these modules in each of the frames....

Good luck with your new contact

Good job! Glad it ended so well!