I just found out that there was some theft in my neighborhood.
And it’s surprising because this area is a pretty decent place to live.
It’s considered to be a low crime area, and though it’s not gated, the community is nice consisting of working class families. Typically, it is quiet, but from time to time, you’ll hear kids playing and dogs barking in the neighborhood. Besides that, there is not much going on around here. So, of course, I was shocked to learn about the theft, but when I discovered what was stolen, I wasn’t surprised. There is a house in the neighborhood that is empty for most of the year and the owners use it as a vacation rental property. Well, the HVAC condenser is located on the side of the house and there is no fencing or anything around it. Of course, this makes the unit vulnerable to getting vandalized. HVAC units that are left in the open are easy targets for thieves who steal the copper, platinum, and other valuable metals that are found inside the outside condenser unit. These metals are easy to remove and can be flipped for a profit with very little red flags raised. This would be a costly repair to the homeowner, but luckily most homeowners’ insurance will cover vandalism of HVAC units. Although, I am still surprised that this theft happened in my neighborhood, at least it taught us a valuable lesson. Never leave the HVAC condenser in the open because they are susceptible to getting vandalized by thieves trying to make a quick buck.