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The Battle Against Bandit Signs

The Battle Against Bandit Signs

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by: KingwoodDotCom Active Indicator LED Icon 18 Site Admin  OP 
~ 6 years ago   Oct 18, '17 2:31pm  
You see them everywhere..."WE BUY HOUSES. WE PAY CASH!" Bandit signs litter most streets and they're an eyesore for area residents. Ridding our community of them is a never-ending fight, but it's one that PCT 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle is committed to. [via Harris County Precinct 4]It’s a crime almost as ordinary as speeding, only harder to ticket. In highly populated areas with little regulation, businesses looking for cheap advertising post signs at intersections and high traffic areas offering “fast cash” for homes and low-cost contract work. Now, as home flippers, contractors and roofing companies strive to capitalize on victims of Hurricane Harvey, more signs than ever are popping up in our community. In Precinct 4, Bill Lee, superintendent of Precinct 4’s Road & Bridge Department, said his crews remove the bulk of the signs during routine road maintenance. At least once a month, crews dedicate a day to removing the signs...Usually, they are back in place a few days later. “If we don’t take them down, they’ll most likely stay there,” said Lee. “Businesses almost never retrieve them.” Known as bandit signs, they can be printed professionally or handwritten on cardboard. Some offenders even scribble their own information in Sharpie on the back of another sign. One business owner even admitted to putting out 80 per week. “These signs are extremely cheap to make, so businesses keep putting up new ones,” said Lee. Freddie Jebousek, road and bridge superintendent for northwest Harris County including the FM 1960 area, says he’s been helping remove bandit signs for 28 years. “Most of the larger companies have stopped posting bandit signs because they spend more on their signs, and it gets expensive when we keep removing them,” he said. “Now we’re having to deal with dozens of smaller businesses who usually spend less than $2 per sign.” Not only do these signs litter the community, but the businesses who post them generally lack credibility. Many signs only list a phone number and service, making it difficult for residents to do their due diligence. The problem is compounded after natural disasters when scammers are more prevalent. So, what should residents do if they spot a bandit sign? To help reduce repeat offenders, Precinct 4 is encouraging residents to report offending businesses to the Harris County Attorney’s Office at 713-755-5101. Businesses who fail to remove their sign must pay a per diem fee. Interested residents can also inquire about a bandit sign removal program with the County Attorney's Office, which trains citizens to remove bandit signs. If the sign still hasn’t been removed, residents can contact Harris County Precinct 4’s Community Assistance Department at 281-353-8424 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on Precinct 4’s Community Assistance Department, visit http://www.hcp4.net/assistance/cad 4951
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ET Active Indicator LED Icon 17
~ 6 years ago   Oct 18, '17 2:38pm  
Call the number - it will be good - arrange a meeting - give the guy a big *** fine. Really isn't that difficult. 4951
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monyhoney Active Indicator LED Icon 17
~ 6 years ago   Oct 18, '17 2:45pm  
Some new signs popped up on my street a few weeks ago.  I was tempted to pluck them out and toss them on the nearby debris pile. 4951
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Krilinhunt Active Indicator LED Icon  New Member
~ 6 years ago   Oct 18, '17 3:01pm  
Agree with ET, is simple like that! 4951
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QueenB Active Indicator LED Icon 16
~ 6 years ago   Oct 18, '17 3:02pm  
Gold's Gym is a huge offender around here. The very reason I won't go there.  4951
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Summerbreeze Active Indicator LED Icon 6
~ 6 years ago   Oct 18, '17 3:06pm  
[ Removed By Request. ]
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Mrb1 Active Indicator LED Icon 1
~ 6 years ago   Oct 18, '17 7:17pm  
The County Attorney's office will fine bandit sign offenders if there is a complaint filed. But, they will only work with a complainant who has taken their class. They offer the class only if there are at least 20 people signed up. The fine is very small at first, $60 or so no matter how many signs. They increase the fines if the offenders do not cease putting up the signs.  A group in Spring got together and took the class and went after their bandit sign offenders. Some of the "We buy houses" people defiantly continued to post the signs after being fined again and again. They ended up getting fines of tens of thousands of dollars before they stopped. That's their own fault. Check out the thread I started on this subject April 8, 2015. Remarkable how many people DEFEND the lawbreakers who put up these  ugly signs.  4951
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LFW1 Active Indicator LED Icon
~ 6 years ago   Oct 18, '17 7:37pm  
Can anyone in Kingwood take down the signs and keep them?  Some of the sticks are great for staking tomato and other plants in the spring!   4951
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monyhoney Active Indicator LED Icon 17
~ 6 years ago   Oct 18, '17 7:44pm  
Check out the thread I started on this subject April 8, 2015.
@Mrb1: Was this the thread about Bandit Sign class?  I was thinking about your thread when I started to read this one. 4951
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Mrb1 Active Indicator LED Icon 1
~ 6 years ago   Oct 18, '17 7:53pm  
Yes, the thread about the bandit sign class. 4951
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Mrb1 Active Indicator LED Icon 1
~ 6 years ago   Oct 18, '17 8:03pm  
@LFW1 It is legal for citizens to confiscate (the county's word, not mine) and dispose of the cardboard signs on the right of way, anywhere between the utility poles on the sides of the road including the ones nailed to the poles. The metal signs that exceed a certain value are supposed to be turned in to the county or constable's office I believe. That is the kind of thing addressed in the class.   4951
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SwaggyG Active Indicator LED Icon 8
~ 6 years ago   Oct 19, '17 8:19am  
Removed By Request 4951
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FoFa Active Indicator LED Icon 17
~ 6 years ago   Oct 19, '17 8:48am  
True the sign maker to print their contact information on any sign they make, or be gone on a pet sign basis.
If signs are used illegally, the maker can be responsible for party of the fine.
 
4951
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QueenB Active Indicator LED Icon 16
~ 6 years ago   Oct 19, '17 10:15am  

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>> Gold's Gym is a huge offender around here. The very reason I won't go there. 
 
@QueenB:
 
 
Best Excuse I have ever heard to not work out lol

@SwaggyG: I know, right?! Works super well for me!  Emoticon
 
 
4951
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Tapiasroofing Active Indicator LED Icon  New Member
~ 6 years ago   Oct 28, '17 9:19pm  
I lot of the bandit signs go to forwarding numbers so it's hard to track the number to an actual business.  Business must keep putting out these signs so they must be working.  It would be a good idea to boycott any business that puts out illegal signs by not calling the number. 4951
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