New Laws In Florida

[johny]

Well it had to happen starting July first the state of Florida put in place a no CASH policy for what they have regulated,these are some of the items on the list any air conditioning unit in hole or part,all cemetery brass vases,any copper any man hole covers,any rail road equipment and the list goes on the new law requires the yard to send you a check within three days,no more cash I am sure this law will spread to a state that you are in.

[totalfish]

maybe I am confused. Wouldn't tough laws on ID's, no cash, and such drive out the druggo's. Making this a more respectable proffession and leaving more scrap available for the honest business man?

[kbob]

I believe that this will become the standard! Very unfortunate for the Honest Hardworking Individuals!

[Dunemaul]

This is old news most yards in FL will allow you to take a/c rads under 16 lbs at a time. Rest of the stuff is nothing new and no reason to worry whatsoever. I just got paid cash for my copper this whole month no problem at multiple yards. Now what i do know is if you bring in over 500LBS of copper you need a letter from the original owner. cash paid is up to the owner of the yard. Over 700lbs you get a check, but this has been standard practice for a very long time. --Please post more details of links to were you read this.

[toula]

That's how it is in Louisiana regarding anything with copper in it. Wire, pipe, transformers, brass, etc. Id, picture, fingerprint, no cash and they hold the check for 5 days. No problem though just bring your copper in every couple of days then every couple of days you will get checks. I don't mind the wait and after awhile you get used to it. The business is changing. Either adapt or be left behind.

[johny]

Well,i have to differ with your opinion,In the states, most of my customers are honest business that i have serviced for years. We give them reciets for every thing that we purchase from them,witch are dated and numbered.I dont know what size of a business that you have but have you ever heard of cash flow?It seams to me that the Hard Working Pro's like myself that operates three different routes, and has six full time employes will be hard pressed to keep paying my customers in cash (and don't think you won't lose some of them if you pay them by check)and carry on my business in the same manner that i have for the last 12 years.I find myself waiting for the checks to clear, so we can continue to purchase the scrap equipment and metals that we have in the past.

[BuckStacyBuck]

how many brass cemetery vases and man holes are you bringing in every month?

I got no problem with getting cut a check, and depending on how many times you go to the yard every couple weeks the checks are just gonna keep rolling in.

only way this would be a problem is if you're absolutely broke and need cash NOW. as most tweekers/junkys tend to be.

[Dunemaul]

I wait for 3 weeks to get paid for my ewaste..... I dont want to hear nothing about waiting 5 days lol. If it wasnt for this turn around time i would have my own yard by now.

[johny]

Here you go Dunmaul, radioworld.com/article/florida-tightens-rulesonscrap-metal

[Dunemaul]

You need to read a new source in my opinion that article is greatly exaggerated. Like i said checks are only given for restricted material of any amount and copper transactions of $1000 or greater. In the bill nothing was added to suggest that the normal scrapper will have to get paid by check. If anything the bill just adds stricter penalties and fines, documentation handling, and defined a few terms. If you read the bill past the first 2 pages anyone would know this and i just see it as lazy reporting and the normal fear induce the American public.

Some of the bashing on the newspaper was correct but this line is false as hell. "The change likely to have the biggest influence on copper theft is the banning of cash payments for scrap metal. Under the new rules, all payments must be made by check or an electronic payment system, and payment may be delayed by up to three days".

[Sirscrapalot]

maybe I am confused. Wouldn't tough laws on ID's, no cash, and such drive out the druggo's. Making this a more respectable proffession and leaving more scrap available for the honest business man?

Disclaimer - All you's below are general, not aimed at anyone in particular. I also realize the yard owners on here are legit and would never buy from someone they suspected of haven stolen, obtained fraudulently, etc.

No offense but this comes across like the argument over gun violence..."If you ban guns, violence will drop". Criminals will always find ways to get guns, drugs, etc.

Let's adapt that to tweekers, thieves and crack heads..."They will only find new ways to get rid of the stuff." Not all yards are honest, I'm sure we have some threads on here about Yards that scam folks, take illegal items, crush items with freon still in them, etc.

A tweeker needing his meth fix isn't gonna care about your 'tough' laws. They don't now. Most yards I would think would know how to tell a thieving meth head from a legit scrapper. Does it stop them now from taking in items obtained from illegal means? Not by a long shot. Some still do it. More then any of us care to admit. My yard in NC requires ID to cash out your ticket. By law ( so I was told by my yard) they have to give you a check for over a 100.00. So..they do then cash it for you. An you get instant cash right then.

Until you get the shady yards to stop buying stuff obtained illegally it won't stop. Ever. Thief's, drug addicts, and other assorted criminals have been around since humanity began. It's still here. You can legalize drugs and people will find new ways to get high, addicted, whatever. Bath salts anyone?

Why not I dunno..crack down on the Yards buying the illegal gotten goods? Why make it harder for the professional, or your part time scrapper to have to cash in his stuff? Because your yard can't tell a tweeker from a legit guy? Someone walks in with meth mouth, strung out, etc and has 500lbs of copper..might be a good idea to turn'm down. Yea, I put it on the yard. This won't make me popular but tough. A meth head isn't a pot head, you can tell someone who uses meth. Can't always do the same with a pot smoker or a drinker. You can with meth and crack, and even Heroin. Bath salts..easy..thats the guy chewing your neighbors face off.

Ask pawn shops. They still get stolen goods all the time. Despite the fact the cops check regularly. Should we need a license to sell or borrow against items we bring to a pawn now? How bout a license to sell anything on CL, how can I be sure the guy selling his atari collection got it legit and didn't rob some dude for it?

I guess my point is..we need to police our own industry. Everyone from sellers to the yard owners. You let the government do it you will be hating life. Tight fisted regulation isn't the answer. You'll just drive folks to use yards that don't care where the stuff comes from. Look at prohabition. Biggest joke ever. It didn't stop nothing it made money for the gangsters and the people bright enough to smuggle it south from Canada.

Anyhow, this just rubbed me wrong. Not trying to offend anyone but I just don't see this problem going away until you get rid of the buyers who don't care where it comes from. Just like pawn shops, Chop shops, etc.

Find a way to do one of two things...stop yards from buying illegally obtained goods, or stop people from using drugs like Meth, Crack, Heroin, Bath salts.

Sirscrapalot - Doesn't expect to be loved for this opinion..but such is life.

PS - Here's a link to Meth Mouth...Images can be disturbing. If this bothers you don't click, you've been warned.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...art/bodyp0.jpg

Following link is to information on Meth and it's affect on the body and mind.

How Meth Destroys The Body | The Meth Epidemic | FRONTLINE | PBS

[ScrapYaHerd]

It's 20lbs of reefer Dune, I just like to keep it around 16lbs as not to look like im trying to avoid the limit(My reefer is legal). I have turned in 1 piece of a/c reefer every week since July 1st. Some yards will not take it at all.

[Sirscrapalot]

Thanks for clarifying your reefer. lol.

:P

Sirscrapalot - a whole lot less long winded.

[totalfish]

Dear Sirscrapalot,

I beleive you do feel strongly about this subject. And I do agree with you. In fact isn't targeting the yards what the "Checks" are about. So the police have a paper trail, to see who the bad ones are, by the criminals they do business with. I also agree that it screws the honest yards and the honest scrappers. However I think we all have the "metal" to adapt and overcome!

[Sirscrapalot]

Indeed I do my good Fish. :P

I don't usually rant so, I think todays was brought upon by reading some articles complaining bout guns and people owning them. It just struck a nerve while reading this topic. I'm not a fan of strict regulation, specially when it hurts legit folks. Yes we need to deter the bad guys, but not at the expense of making life so difficult nobody wants to get into this line of work. Surely there is another way to fix the problem, but it'll be a smarter fella then myself to figure it out.

Sirscrapalot - ranting and raving. :P

[jaydee1445]

It's 20lbs of reefer Dune, I just like to keep it around 16lbs as not to look like im trying to avoid the limit(My reefer is legal). I have turned in 1 piece of a/c reefer every week since July 1st. Some yards will not take it at all.

Even only 16 lbs of reefer is felony possession with intent.

[fordsix]

The largest yard in my area advertised that they would no longer pay cash for non ferrous.The next day some guy was advertising on craigslist that he would buy it from anyone at 80 percent of the yard price.From the amount of copper theft in my area he will probably get enough to get volume pricing at the yard wich is 10 percent over advertised price.There is always a way for theives to make money.In my mind he is worse than a theif because anyone who sells copper to him is obviously a theif and he knowes it for a fact but dosent care.I really hope he reads this im pretty sure were aquainted

[Dunemaul]

Ford I dont agree with you. And with others on the forums. Alot of people i know who scrap are not meth heads but work hard as they can to feed themselves and the families. most times a 70$ day is considered really good. So lets say you have been saving your non ferrous and a forgotten bill is due or some one gets hurt. these people now are expected to wait min 3 days till services/food/ housing can be restored. Use you better judgment when buying metals, keep good records. People are going to find a way to get by in order to survive, and no government will get in there way.

One a side note i just sold many 100 lbs of non ferrous straight to MAJOR yards last friday and monday. not one person said anything about this.

I do not condone stealing or buying stolen goods, I allow free enterprise though and the entrepreneurial spirit.

[mikeinreco]

Here in Tennessee there is a 5 day wait on copper unless you give the state $150 and become a "scrap dealer" What a joke I just take a load of copper every 5 days and pick up my check.....LOL

[CAPTSCRAPER]

I go 3-4 times a week 5 if i dont go fishing! so let the checks flow.