Montavilla Sewing Centers in Southeast Portland has had five HVAC units stolen, each costing $25,000.
PORTLAND, Oregon — A longtime business in Portland’s Montavilla neighborhood is asking for help after a string of thefts left it without heat and facing the possibility of losing insurance coverage.
Montavilla Sewing, a fixture on Southeast Stark Street for 70 years, has had five HVAC units stolen from the roof of its building since September. Two of the units were taken early Friday morning, and the suspects were caught on surveillance video.
“This is a real problem, we need to stop this now because businesses can’t afford to do business in Portland if this doesn’t get taken care of,” said Brett Moore, the company’s president.
Surveillance video from the most recent theft shows a person approaching the business shortly after 1 a.m. and climbing onto the roof before turning the security camera away. Later, two people can be seen loading items into the trunk of a car.
Moore believes the thieves are targeting copper inside the HVAC units.
“This is a $25,000unit that they get maybe $150 out of,” Moore said.
Insurance has covered most of the losses so far, leaving the business responsible for a $1,000 deductible for each unit. However, Moore said the repeated claims could soon cost the business its coverage altogether.
“My agent doesn’t have much hope that we will still have insurance come July,” he said.
Beyond the financial impact, Moore said the thefts have taken time away from running the business and left the store without heat during one of the coldest months of the year.
“If its sunny and warm, we will probably be OK but if it gets below 40, we might have to close down. It might not be warm enough. Or we will have to get a ton of space heaters,” Moore said.
Neil Mattson, president of the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association, said the thefts appear to be part of a broader pattern targeting businesses in the area.
“There have been seven businesses on Stark Street that we know of that have been hit. And the damages have totaled in excess of $100,000 right now,” Mattson said.
Portland police said they are actively investigating the thefts and are asking anyone with information to contact them.
Moore said he hopes a solution can be found to stop the thefts and keep the business operating.
“We have 20 employees here at this store, that would be 20 jobs lost inside the city,” he said.
