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Disappearing shopping carts costing its taxpayers

Officials across the country now finding carts everywhere from creeks to parking lots. And experts say it can lead to big problems.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Shopping carts are disappearing from stores and it's costing taxpayers.

 Let's connect the dots.

Abandoned shopping carts are making their way into neighborhoods. Experts say it's all because of a rising number of homeless people using the carts to hold belongings.

Officials across the country now finding carts everywhere from creeks to parking lots. And experts say it can lead to big problems. 

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They can cause drainage and waste systems and even cause accidents. Often times local ordinances force retailers to shell out millions of dollars to collect abandoned carts.

But it falls on taxpayers too. Earlier this month, Fayetteville, North Carolina shelled out nearly $80,000 to collect carts. 

The city said for every cart they find it costs about $78 to recover. Now, Fayetteville could be among the growing number of cities introducing laws to crack down on stray carts. 

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app.

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