I read today in The News Tribune Blog that Pierce County in Washington is basically going around enforcing an old law which has to do with city right of way and signs. According to the blog, they are collecting all signs in the right of way and throwing them in the dump.
Here is part of the blog I read by Devona Wells:
"Since Feb. 15, county workers have collected and taken to the dump 1,320 signs, said Bruce Wagner, the county's road operations division manger. Nearly half were real-estate related, he said."
This interesting blog went on to talk about how the city right away isn't really clearly defined in most cases, so it is not only hard to follow the law, it is hard to enforce. Apparently workers who can not determine if a sign is in the right of way or not are instructed to just leave it.
According to the blog, the county tried holding on to the signs to allow owners to pick them up, but found it to be inconvenient and decided to take them to the landfill after looking at recycling costs.
My opinion - This is ridiculous! This is bad for sellers who need people to see that their house is for sale and really bad timing on the county's part if you ask me. We all put our signs in the right of way! If you are like me, you are careful to make sure that the sign is not blocking vision for drivers, but if we had to put the signs out of the right of way, they would look ridiculous and be in the middle of the yard in some cases.
THROWING THEM AWAY????? That is just stupid! My signs are all wood and I know that an artist group would love to get a hold of them and paint to their hearts content if recycling is too expensive, but please please please do not fill the landfill with things that still have a useful life. If you are going to have a law and enforce it, you have to be able to enforce it properly and in this day and age to fill the landfill with perfectly good materials is ridiculous. Instead, charge a rescue fee like the City of Lake Forest Park used to do in my early days of real estate. Or go with a sign permit system. There are about ten better ways to do it.
Ultimately, this is bad for the county, too - Houses still depend on signs to sell in most cases - The real estate market needs the signs and the county needs the real estate market.
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Don't EVEN get me started on this one! it's got my frickin' number on it! Why not just CALL me and tell me where I can pick the stupid thing up at? Oh NO! That would be TOO easy! That would be TOO thoughtful and CONSIDERATE! Not something our County entities are known for!....
<rant over>
Courtney, I read this when Matt Thompson in Gig Harbor wrote about it. I can see it both ways. I have talked to King County about this years ago and back then they would "hold them" for you but not call. There weren't too many violators back then. This last fall I had a plat in the Renton Highlands and oh man driving up that hill the signs were just horrid looking. Signs from about 25 different communities - in honesty you couldn't even see the public right away, much less any type of landscaping the city planted and maintained. The city called the builders - called the real estate offices in the area and then began a fine and pick up campaign. I agreed with it. There are places in Pierce county that are so littered with signs it is disgusting! I think we as agents have a responsibility to follow the rules. I also know there is no way the county could call all of the violators but I do know that many times over the years they have called the real estate offices and said - hey do something or we will.
I do agree that they shouldn't be going to the land fill - but I do think that we need to really know our sign rules. - Same thing goes here - a few bad apples.
It is 7 am 5/20/08 and I here the sound of digging out side my home; the sign post is being installed via Mls4Owners.com. But wait, why are you putting that there sir? I just got the information regarding this asinine ruling from the sign post guy exclaiming the exact statistics I just read in this article. Unreal! Why in the hell would I want that sign 10 feet away from the street where people could actually see it from a distance??? Oh, does the county or city not remember the $3,195 I pay in property taxes every year? I think I have acquired that patch of grass through adverse possession at the very leastgiven my many hours of volunteer maintenance of weed-whacking, edging, and mowing of that strip. And well put "this is the worst time" to be pulling a stunt as such given the state of the economy and subsequent housing market! Typical BS!
HI Brian:) Yep, pretty bad - I like your adverse possession take on it - lol
This is an ever growing problem when these signs are posted on private property right of ways ... Illegal???? How about down the sidewalk meant for pedestrians not signs. This is taking place like crazy in the New Lipoma Firs Homeowners area just off 187th St. E. in Graham/Puyallup. Not to mention, Judge Armijo has signs posted on personnel property we own and maintain and pay taxes on ... What gives his people the right??? Because it is the only nice looking property along 161/Meridian??? How to stop both of these sign posters from "clogging up the scenery, blow'in my mind". Someone please advise as what to do in both situations as this is annoying when you need to remove signs from your own yard or while out walking your dog you have to go out in the road and risk getting hit so some real estate agent can sell a home. What a joke!
Will check back in to see if any info
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