Guys who secured property for bank took all the copper!

[Sean Forest]

A property I am purchasing had all the copper taken from it (wiring and supply & drain pipes). I was aware of this going into the deal, and I'm totally fine with that. I'm a contractor so it's easy for me to replace that sort of stuff. The crazy part, though, is who stole the copper. The neighbors just told me it was the guys who came in for the bank to make sure the old owners were out and to winterize the property. Well they didn't winterize the property; they stole all the copper. Again, it's not the fact that the copper got stolen that I'm surprised about; it's who did it that makes me say whaaaat.

Has anyone experienced this where the guys who were supposed to secure the property ended up stealing the copper from it? An investor friend of mine said that it's not all that uncommon.