donkeyjote

spaz-a-lot

Maybe not to those living in cities. We banned billboards in VT 40 years ago [www.vpr.net] and I have to admit it's nice to have all that lack of advertising. We do still have farmers writing candidate's names in hay bales though.

I guess Maine, Hawaii and Alaska have also said, "No thanks" though I don't know how long ago.

lim

Bog

ceejeemcbeegee

Exactly. Better yet, require the permits to be posted where they are easily visible on the billboard or its structure. If it isn't within say, 6 feet of the ground, it should be blown up large enough to be read with binoculars.

This reminds me of a story a former supervisor was telling me about when he worked in a small town maintaining the power lines. He found cable TV lines on his poles, that the power company knew nothing about. A fly-by-night cable company had set up, just running the cables on the poles with no permits and no permission. And this is kind of a big deal when you've got to climb around this stuff to scale a power pole.

He just cut the cable at every single pole, destroying tens of thousands of dollars worth of cable. And the only notification the cable company got was when their customers started calling them.

The same approach would work here. No notification, no nothing, just yank 'em down.

Disposal would be a problem, though, I think.

TechnoDestructo

kylo4

And, like you say, they'll probably forfeit the illegal structure. Probably the moeny from selling the scrap WOULD go toward the balance, but there'd be a lot left over.

Buran

@Buran: It costs the city alot of money for that. Though I'm sure the city can sell the scrap metal to make it up.

@TourPro: With that "sign" the thing is that its a message, compared to just a logo. And it's mostly stationary. At a certain point, 30 days out of 30 days parked in a spot means its an intentional ploy to advertise (It's a local churches ad, even has a website address on it). The quickest way to avoid that would be to reposition the trailer so that the message faces away from oncoming traffic.

donkeyjote

Is there anything better in life than being a member of a government labor union? High pay, great benefits, almost no expectations and virtually impossible to get fired.

Ssscorpion

dammer

"This is an illegal billboard. It is owned by [company-name]. Their public relations department can be reached at [company phone number]. Please ask them to remove this billboard."

Hopefully angry calls from the public will convince them to do the right thing where the ineffective city office has failed.

Of course, this depends on correct identification of the illegal billboards in the first place, as humorbot points out.

Czum

SajalaAugeas

humorbot

Motion Filed To Dismiss Charges In Sign Permit Case

It's like playing "Whack-a-mole".

TourPro

The reason they're getting away with this is because they're deep in city official's pockets. It's just another glaring example of the corporate takeover of public space.

But hey, they're illegal, so just knock 'em down, right?

youbastid

That said, here's a low-cost way for LA's city counsel to address the issue: make it legal to do all those nasty things to illegal billboards.

TheGoodReverend

Slap a notice on each billboard saying "You have two months for X date to either remove this billboard or bring it into compliance."

Wait two months.

Cut the billboards down and cut them up. Sell the steel for scrap to pay for the project (10tons of steel = $2,000+ in scrap value). When a company calls to complain about their billboard being cut down, fine them for erecting an illegal billboard and charge them for the "removal costs".

Watch spot, if billboard goes up again repeat.

Pixel

WhirlyBird

Also, are billboards all that bad? I've lived both in Chicago and now here in LA and maybe its just something I'm used to seeing. I love going to NY and Toronto and I couldn't imagine those towns without iconic billboards. They really just blend into the background and become part of the urban landscape.

Isn't the Hollywood(land) sign just a giant billboard afterall? I'd say if I saw a giant Marlboro sign on any of the hills I might change my position here.

plustax

scoosdad

loquaciousmusic

Sudonum

If you are cited by the police for trespassing, can the billboard owner be subpoena'd to appear at the trial? If your defense is that that the owner didn't mind, and they don't show, they face legal sanctions. If they do show, are they going to admit under oath that the installation is illegal?
Worst case, you lose and get court costs and a fine - it might be worth $500 to embarass the city.

Sys Admn

No kidding. If I was the Govenator I'd be all over L.A. to be collecting fines for these eyesores. Don't pay the fines? You'll come to work one day & there will be large chains & padlocks on your doors & some CHIPies waiting for you with the shiny bracelets.

Jaysyn

On a smaller note I'm a member of [causs.org]

Even though I'm never on the site - I don't know why more people don't take down these ugly signs for scams and other garbage.

You can bet in my neighborhood (Congress Park/Denver) if some litters this trash on our corners some Saturday morning they'll be gone in a few hours.

jamesdenver

But god forbid you get caught speeding!

bbagdan

[www.knbc.com]

ceejeemcbeegee

Buran

differcult

LatherRinseRepeat

Trai_Dep

elisa

Trai_Dep

elisa

nytmare

Get some friends and some paint. If you know someone at a print shop with a sense of humor, even better.

As long as you live close by, I bet you can keep messing with it faster than the billboard company can clean it up.

What are they going to do? Charge you with vandalism to their illegal billboard?

Oh, the opportunity...

Ryan H

weave

Me