I just threw $475 dollars down the drain!!

[Victor]

In the past two days I've been busting my butt hanging signs on telephone poles for advertising purposes obviously. Well....this afternoon, I got a call from one of the electric companies in town. This jerk told me that one of his workers had seen a sign of mine on one of their telephone poles. He asked me in a very rude way, &quot;who told you, that you could hang your sing on our pole&quot;? I told him that I didn't know of any rules against it. Especially since I had seen so many signs on poles all the time. He said that I would be fined $38 for every sign that they found, and consequently had to remove, if I didn't pull them down myself. When I asked him to name the problem location, he couldn't even tell me where the pole was. Problem #1 is I don't remember all of the locations where I put up signs because I put up 50 of them. Problem #2 is the fact that I have $475 invested in them, and to take them down would ruin them (since they are of the fiber-core type. I sure hate the idea of taking such an expensive screwin'. I'm trying to figure out what to do. Anyone have suggestions, or the same experience?<p>Victor

[cjcland]

i am sorry to here about that, i once put about 500 out at a mall on windshield and the security came and told me i had to take them all off, luckily i talked him out of it<p>----------<br>CJC Landscape Management<br>Winter Haven, Florida

[Eric ELM]

This could be a competitor pulling your leg too. I've never heard of this before.<p>----------<br>&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.townserver.com/elm/&quot;&gt;Eric@ELM&lt;/a&gt;<br>

[gusbuster]

More and more cities are making it illegal to post any kind of signs on public right of ways, telephone poles, electic poles. Why? People like me have to pick up the signs once they get blown off and land on my clients property. <p>In my city,(Millbrae, Ca.) it is illegal to post any kind of sign on a public post or poles. What's ironic about this is that there's a little black,red and white sticker that is posted on any kind of post or poles letting people know about this ordinance.<br>Jean<p>----------<br>J-LC Landscaping & Maintenance Gardening<br>C-27 Ca Contr# 770044

[fireball]

That's why the phone company makes the big bucks. Really its just a safety problem, because everyone is using 16 penny nails to mount their signs, it makes for hazardous climbing for the lineman. Sorry you had to learn the hard way. in addition, don't put flyers in the mailbox at the curbs, the postal inspectors will get you

[thelawnguy]

I kinda doubt the utility co. would call, most likely they would get the address from the phone co. and send a warning via mail.<p>Here, we get a reminder with our electric bill every month, do not post on poles, its illegal, the intended target is tag sale signs. They also use the climber injury on nails excuse, though they use buckets exclusively, the only time the spurs were ever used were during training.<p>Bill

[Bobby]

Fireball's right about the mail boxes. I put out a few hundred fliers in mailboxes a few years ago. The postmaster sent me a bill for 138.00 I asked how he came to that number, he said it was an estimate and if I did'nt pay, we would take it to the next level. Oh yea, the money was for stamps for the flyers.I guess you can touch their box if you leave an offering. <p>----------<br>Bobby <br>Ft Lauderdale

[steveair]

In jersey they have the same type of ordiances. For instance, if you have a garage sale, you ARE allowed to post signs, but they must have the address written on them so they can find you. The signs can only stay out for a couple days though. After that, you are required to go back and pick the signs up, or they will fine you.<p>It kind of follows the whole sign idea in general. In order to get a sign for your business put up, say in front of your house or work yard, you have to apply for all kind of permits. A lot of times they won't let you do.<p>So what do people do. <p>This. They have regs. that say you cannot have a &quot;permanent&quot; sign structure without a building permit. What people do now a days is Buy old vans, paint them up, and park them in front of their homes, business, etc. It works because the laws say nothing about this.<p>If you do this though, the van HAS to have plates/be registered and inspected for that matter. Someone down the street did this with a old $100 van that had no engine. He ended having to get rid of it because it had no plates.<p>Another idea along the same line is this. Other people buy trailers, then mount Huge billboards on them. They then drive them around and leave them in parking lots, road side turn offs, etc. It works good. You can put a 10 by 20 sign on a trailer. A real attention getter. Again, the trailer needs to be registered. In some cases it may be trespassing in the parking lots, but you can always use the excuse that its broken down or something and thats why you left it there. Untill they rewrite the laws, you can get away with doing this.<br>

[JJ Lawn]

Yes, the utility companies can make you remove the signs from their poles. The poles belong to them. And in some cities it is illegal to post signs on them. <p>The reason for this is for the safty of the utility company workers. A lot of companys require that people have to climb these poles with a set of hooks strapped to ther feet. And there is nothing worse than climbing a pole that is full of nails and signs. All you have to do is hit one nail head while climbing or desending the pole and you can fall off the pole. It is bad enough if the person slips on the pole, the creosote splinters do enough damage, but if the pole is full of nails it can cause even more injuries. I speak from experience. I worked 17 yrs for GTE before I was layed off in 1994. And I have hit a few nails while climbing poles, and I have removed a lot of signs.<p>So please, find another place to put your signs.<p>Jim

[lawrence stone]

It could be worse Victor. Retro says he just<br>spent $758 for 15 display ads in his small town newspaper.<p>He will be luckly to get even 15 responses.<p>That's only $50 per contact and he still has<br>to close on a couple of contacts just to<br>pay back the newspaper.<p>I am placing a classifed ad in my local paper<br>(75k circulation) on Monday for less than $100 for<br>thirty days offering overseeded, aeration, <br>dethatching, and fert/pest apps.<p>I will not offer any mowing services for<br>the paper is already full of 'scrubs'.<p>I have made a promise to myself that this<br>will be my last year in the residential mowing biz. <br>

[Charles]

One of the reason no one should put signs on trees or poles. Is that is is a form of polution. What if every lawn service in town put signs out like that? Or every company in town did that? What an unsightly mess. I want to see beautiful trees. Not some stinking ad signs all over the place. Our city has a ordinance against this and the county is following suite. One lawn company in town has put up at least 500 signs on poles and up in trees. That only a latter could get to. They are up and down the interstate. I mean every where. And we have a large county. Done in a manic style. people may think you are a bit off the wall to go to that extreme. You should have checked with the utility companies and county offices before you put the signs up. Well Live and learn

[Victor]

Thanks for all of the good words guys. I really like the feedback. By the way Charles. No trees. I'd never do that. That would look horrible.<p>Victor

[Lee Homan]

I wonder how these guys offering garages built fo $79.00 per month are getting away with it. Here in AL they're on about every corner.

[Alan]

Here in Vermont it is illegal to hang signs on utility poles. Safety concerns for the lineman, as either climbing and hitting an imbedded object or even worse puncturing a rubber glove and making a spot for voltage to leak through.

[Retro67]

I am not afraid to take a risk. My first phone call was for a $250 / month residential contract which will easily pay for the ad. I am happy with the results and have a month left to profit from the ad. It isn't, however, my only attempt at attracting new customers.<p>I could have gone with cheaper advertising in other papers or a services directory ad, but I wanted to see if I got a response with the display ad. It lends some legitimacy to my company and gives me name recognition. <p>Cold, hard cash in hand isn't the only reason to run this ad. When I pass out flyers, people are going to be thinking, &quot;I've heard of this RetroLawn company, give them a call.&quot; Even if they don't remember where they heard of me, they will likely call me over some of the competition.<p>I honestly don't want to be lumped in with some of the competition that advertises in the service directory. I have only heard one of their names come contract time. This is out of many companies who rotate through these directories. Obviously they aren't winning the contracts I've pursued, so they are not the examples I want to follow. <p>John<p><p><p>

[cantoo]

We used to sell galdioluses ( flowers) from our farm gate. One day I got the bright idea to mount brackets from the hydro poles along the highway. I got our Tractor and loader up as high as it would go and lag bolted steel brackets to hold 5 gallon pails onto. I had them all ready for the long weekend. One week later the hydro truck pulled into our place and said I had 5 minutes to remove everything or he was calling the police. After I took them down he said that someone had called to say how nice the flowers looked and that it was a good idea.. He didn't agree. Now I always ask other people what they think of my bright ideas before I act on them.

[gusbuster]

Just a quick comment on parking a vehicle on public or private property.<br>Can't speak for the rest of the states or Canada for that matter, but at least here in California and Nevada, it is illegal to leave ANY vehicle longer than 72 hrs in the same spot(and per city ordinance,cann't leave a non-moveable vehicle in front yard). Also this vihicle can not be parked with in so many yards at anytime once the vehicle has marked for tow.<br>I thought this vehicle code would apply in other states.<br>Jean<p>----------<br>J-LC Landscaping & Maintenance Gardening<br>C-27 Ca Contr# 770044

[Lance720]

It is worth 50$ per sign where I live. The city's bylaw enforcement officer goes around, collects them and the tries to contact you to give you a 50$ fine per sign.<br> Lance<br>

[steveair]

Hey gus, <p>In response, the laws are the same around here. The thing is, most guys move them around after 24 or 48 hrs. The law really can't do anything about it then. People can complain, but most of times they seem to get away with it.

[Lance720]

It is worth 50$ per sign where I live. The city's bylaw enforcement officer goes around, collects them and the tries to contact you to give you a 50$ fine per sign.<br> Lance<br>

[AB Lawn Care]

Here what I would do.1 Take all the signs you can find and take them down.2 Take all the signs that you have taken down and nail them to the side of a telephone company truck!Think of it a rolling billbord!!!!Just kidding!!!!That's a tuff one to answer.But i'm sure you feel like doing what I first suggested!!!!!<p>from:Adam<p>AB Lawn Care