Tire dumping forcing removal cos

LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (WVLT)- Tires, dozens of them are showing up in parking lots and people's back yards in Loudon County.

It's costing the property owners some big bucks to get rid of them, including a non-profit thrift store that had to dig deep into their pockets.

"They pulled up alongside of the road and rolled the tires right down into the parking lot right. After it was paved and our beautiful store ... we were so upset," says Jinny Wendel, manager of the Good Neighbors Shoppe Inc.

The non-profit store, who gives all their proceeds to charity after they pay their bills, had just saved enough money to move into their new location in Lenoir City.

"So we called the police and they took the report, but they told us in the county they don't have a pick up," added Wendel.

Leaving the store with the bill to get rid of these tires.

"So, it cost us 80 dollars to remove the tires we didn't put there. We were just here trying to help other people," says Wendel.

And they're not the only ones who have had to pay. The county has picked up hundreds in the last few months.

Tim Williams works at Matlock Tire Services, he says the state sets restrictions, which forces these tire shops to find a place to keep the leftovers.

"They have given us a certain allotment per month, poundage wise," says Williams.

Sometimes landfills can charge as much as five dollars a tire.

But there's one other option,

"Typically it's not a paper written thing. It's a 'I''ll drive by your parking lot when you're closed and if you've got some, I'll pick em up.'"

They're called 'tire rats', they take the extra loads, salvage what they can and then dump the rest.

"Wherever they can roll them off," adds Williams.

Leaving the cost up the people,

"We know we've all been through a lot in our life we know things don't always work out perfectly," says Wendel.

The Loudon County Sheriff's Office tells Local 8 News are the not currently investigating, but that someone could be charged with criminal littering if caught.