Illegal bandit signs

[hoopstar]

I live in PG county MD(outside DC)..today the county just called and said I have till thursday to take down my signs..they said this is my warning...they said that i have already taken down 12 of my signs..and every other sign they find after thursady is a 100$ fine..im real mad cuz i had gotten approx 4 calls in the last week from my signs and ive only had them up for a weak and a half....whats some good ways to market to these bandit sign restricted areas..and how do i get around these laws..On a side nite,,i think the guy was bluffin..he called me like at 5 in the afternoon from a cell phone number(i could tell by the area code thathe wasnt in the office..and left a message..he said his name was Mr.Lee on my answering machine and he had got m number off one of my signs.  So i call back  and then he tells me he is from the county and gives me the whole rundown..my question is havbe other investors been known to do that just to limit the competition?

[whitewater investments]

yes its possible that its just another investor but at the same time its possible its not you may want get ahold of the county and find out who handles those kinds of things and see if he works there. and have you checked your county for laws on signs is it illegal??

[TNinvestor]

One guy who I just knocked on his door a few month ago lets me keep a sign in his yard for a 12 pack a month....... be creative.

[jmd_forest]

I feel your pain. I had bandit signs up for about 2 weeks when I got a call from the code enforcement officers from 2 of the towns where they were located. The worst fine was $1200/sign for each day they were up.  

I reviewed the township code regarding signs. In at least 1 of the towns bandit signs (or any sign not specifically defined in the ordanance) are illegal even with the owner's permission. The only signs allowed are realtor "FOR SALE" or "SOLD"  signs and political campaign signs (of course they exempt themselves for their own benifit)  each with time limits applied. Although I suppose you could fight the township on First Amendment grounds if you own or have permission to place the signs, it would take years and tens of thousands of dollars to pursue.

JMD

[kdhastedt]

A lot of cities/towns/counties have ordnances against these signs because they are trashy eyesores.  I hate them and the political ones.

That said (and I do feel better by the way -- after all, it IS the "Festivus" season and time for the "airing of grievances"...), most of these employees are Mon thru Fri, 8:00 to 5:00 stiffs.  Put your signs up on Friday at 5:00 and pull them in Sunday evening.

And, yes, they probably do have the authority to levy fines for violations.

Keith

[CCLC]

Get permission from private property owners to post it on their property.
Most people will not mind if it is on the corner of a piece of property, especially commercial property owners.

Florida actually has a law lke htat as well but no one pays any attention to it and it isn't enforced.
After all, all of hte politicians do it at election time.

[jmd_forest]

Unfortunately for me, here in the NJ suburbs they do enforce that law with stiff
fines, even with the owner's permission. The reason (at least around here) that politicians get away with it is because politicians make the law and have specifically allowed political campaign signs.

JMD

[TNinvestor]

Looks like you're going to have to be creative. Find a supermarket in the neighborhood you're targeting. The find an employ (boxboy, whatever) who will let you put a magnetic sign on their car and park in a promenent place......hopefully a weekend employ. I've seen advertising sold on benches at markets and malls. Buy a cheap van and have a huge sign made for it and park it in a promenent place each day. You just have to think outside the box.

[DougON]

Since political signs are exempt, is there some way to have an endorsement on your signs? It could be generic like: "Don't forget to vote!" Or you could make a slick deal to have the mayor's name on your signs.

Personally I wouldn't do this, but it's an idea for those of you who feel comfortable with it.

Although you've got to ask yourself. Agents have been getting sellers to call them for years and I've never seen a "we list houses" sign anywhere. Of course yard signs are huge promotional tools for agents, but they get to place them only after they get a listing.

If they're doing it without trashy illegal signs, why do you need them?

[virtual]

I've known some people put them up on Friday and take them down on Sunday and had some calls come in.  Some took the chances and got fined...but made so much more in profit, they didn't care.  If you don't mind putting magnetic sign on your vehicle... no fines there!  

[TWProperties]

Well, here's how I avoid it...

My signs have Avoid Foreclosure and my 888 number, that's it. My number is untraceable, so the county leaves me messages, but I don't return them. They don't know who I am! yes, I put them up on Fridays and they are mostly down on MOndays, but I have the weekend, and I get loads of calls from them! So long as they don't CATCH me posting them, they have no clue who I am.

Buyer Beware: don't order from Witness Designs

[Lady Bird-dog]

Yeah, I currently just put mine out Friday night and pick-up on Sunday night.

[Warhorse1]

Fellow investors,
Since we are on the subject if bandit signs, what do you think the most effective marketing bandit sign is? Would it be "WE BUY HOUSES", "CASH FOR YOUR HOUSE" or do you recommend another? The reason I ask is because we all seem to be using the same signs. It's just a matter of who gets up early in the morning first and places the signs out on the intersection. Still, if we all use the same signs, what makes one investor different than the others?  Terell

[Lady Bird-dog]

I think it would be best to use a different a sign. I'm on a very limited budget, so my looks like the other signs but if you have the money be different. The good thing about my situation is that there really aren't that many signs outs. My main competition is realtor open houses and praying they don't kick down my sign. I've also noticed that some new person has started posting their signs.  Hopefully no more will start because I won't place my sign by other peeps. I just think it looks too cluttered and won't help anyone.

[Warhorse1]

Thanks for the response.  Terell