Posted by Adolfo M. (FL) on April 14, 2003 at 18:10:05:
Why give her free advertising with your hard-earned money?
I CAUGHT MY BANDIT SIGN THIEF!!! - Posted by Kevin
Posted by Kevin on April 14, 2003 at 10:41:28:
I thought I would post this after reading the other posts about bandit signs. I am a newbie, I started by buying 100 yellow with black lettering "12x"48 signs. They stayed up maybe a week. So I bought 200 smaller signs, same thing, up about a few days now. I finally got a bigger ladder and a 6 foot 4 inch friend to hang em high! and I went on a mission, My signs were getting cut down in the middle of the night, so I staked em out for 5 NIGHTS IN A ROW!! I would go out about 11:00 pm and come home at 5 am. My girlfriend hated it and so did I. But I was committed to finding this person. Well I finally caught him in the act last night at 8 pm by accident. It was at the local Wal-Mart and I got out my truck helling and screaming at this guy and attracted alot of attention by the way. The guy finally told me a REALTOR was paying $1 a sign, can you believe this?? I know how to find this realtor, Im not sure what I am going to do about it yet. Any Feedback???
Re: I CAUGHT MY BANDIT SIGN THIEF!!! - Posted by Allen (IN)
Posted by Allen (IN) on April 14, 2003 at 21:28:45:
well…There certainly plenty of purely vindictive things that could be done that might sit a bit outside the law…my thoughts center around the particular brokers yard signs…ponder…but I would say just call the police…and hassle the stealer a little bit, then have your lawyer hassle the realtor a little bit…then hassle the broker a bit. I’d think you’d get better traction if you had a place where you could legally put up a sign, have a written contract with a property owner where you put up the sign up and then wait for the thief to come along, then you are in the clear as far as your legality (?)… then you’ve got all kinds of reasons to sue the realtor, his broker, complain to th RE commision etc etc…
…call every investor that “we buy houses” just to let them know where their signs might be going…let the complaints pile on top of each other, and hopefully remove a few commisions from going to that firm. Find a willing investor who’s listed there to btch to the broker, find more people to call the broker to btch that they will NEVER list there if they keep this Sh*t up…the angrier the better…rage has its uses.
See what a lawyer might say, do some research, I’m sure someone along the way has been whacked for stealing political signs, which aren’t exactly legal everywhere either…There must be case-law somewhere…and in the end we know that anyone can sue anyone for anything…hey you might even get some pub about this if you wanted to raise a big enough stink about it…start a suit, make friends with someone at “the paper” and get an article written about your case…“all pub is good pub”
then again, all above sounds like a real pain in the…
just remember…“trust no accomplises”
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/10/11/Citrus/Stolen_signs_stir_up_.shtml
in FL apparently you might be able to press for “petty theft and criminal mischief” who knows?!
Re: I CAUGHT MY BANDIT SIGN THIEF!!! - Posted by Mike
Posted by Mike on April 14, 2003 at 20:37:33:
Not only is what the realtor doing, THEFT! But since the realtor could be viewd as a competitor being in the same line of business, they may be able to be charged with criminal offenses for illegally tampering with your business. You may also have a case against the realtor for tort. Although this would probably not be worth the time and money to go after such a suit.
I would however approach the realtor with a bill for all the signes that have vanished and demand to be paid for your cost of what you paid for the signs. If they refuse then threaten to press criminal charges and filing a civil suit against them. Not just a civil suit for the cost of the signs they took, but also for interferring with your business. Malicious intent to destroy your business.
Did you get the name and address of the person you caught that told you this realtor was paying them?
Re: I CAUGHT MY BANDIT SIGN THIEF!!! - Posted by michaela-ATL
Posted by michaela-ATL on April 14, 2003 at 16:40:18:
FYI - it’s illegal for that broker to take the signs. It’s called ‘theft’, but you’d have a hard time proving it.
I was in a similar situation years ago with an ‘open house’ sign, placed at a street corner. A guy, that is really hard on getting rid of signs brought my sign to me and told me, that it was illegal to put this on public property. A lot of other things happened and I ended up with 5 cops in front of my house discussing the situation. He’s had a lot of run-ins with the cops over the sign issue before.
Anyway, the police informed both of us, that, yes, that it was illegal, but that he had no right to enforce this policy. he could go to the police and they could take the signs. They then informed me, that I could file charges of ‘theft’ against him, if i wanted to, since the sign somehow disappeared in the middle of things.(he supposedly put it back on the street corner, but when one of the cops went back there with him they couldn’t find it).
You might inform the broker of that.
michaela
Re: I CAUGHT MY BANDIT SIGN THIEF!!! - Posted by Eddy (CT)
Posted by Eddy (CT) on April 14, 2003 at 16:11:56:
Kevin,
Call the local BBB to see if there are any complaints against this broker and lodge one yourself. If there are any previous complaints, call the state RE licensing department and lodge another complaint, then let it go and get on with your business.
Just my 2 cents,
Eddy
Re: I CAUGHT MY BANDIT SIGN THIEF!!! - Posted by Tim Fierro (Tacoma, WA)
Posted by Tim Fierro (Tacoma, WA) on April 14, 2003 at 14:31:23:
You need to get out there and find signs that sell for 50 cents. Then take them to the agent that pays you a dollar per. Double your investment. As another said, a side business of ordering signs for 50 cents and selling them for a buck. You might see if this includes paper signs and just have your printer print out a hundred to make an easy $100 bill.
You could go to this agent’s office and go outside and start removing their sign. As they come out, just tell them you are doing what they are doing to you.
Or, you can just let it go and realize that signs may not be an option in that area until the agent’s pocketbook starts to deteriorate of $1 bills from having so many signs come in.
Re: I CAUGHT MY BANDIT SIGN THIEF!!! - Posted by Rob FL
Posted by Rob FL on April 14, 2003 at 10:57:12:
Why not call the police, after all someone is stealing your signs. LOL
Get over it. Losing signs is part of the game.
If you want to beat this person at his own game, then install your signs over a broader geographic area. Also instead of putting out 100 signs and have them all gone within a week or less, install 25 signs a week for 4 weeks. That way the signs in effect are up for a longer time period.
Re: I CAUGHT MY BANDIT SIGN THIEF!!! - Posted by Kevin
Posted by Kevin on April 14, 2003 at 12:05:22:
Thanks for the feedback, I posted so that everyone could get a smile for the day. as to your comment “get over it” well, we will see…maybe in time after I have done a few deals. Being a newbie and doing the things the way I was taught and told by placing adds, putting up signs, checking court records, mailing out postcards to pre-foreclosures, evictions, tax liens, etc. along with decorating my truck with "7 letters WE BUY HOUSES! and calling FSBO’s along with knocking on doors. I attended the convention in Atl. I go to my rei clubs when I can. I read the books and listen to the cds…and nothing yet! Talk about getting frustrated. But anyway, I have committed myself to becoming rich by using re, and this is what I will do come hell or high water. Maybe I take it too personally when my signs get cut down by a realtor paying someone $1. And maybe in time i will learn to “Get over it”. Until then, Im an active real estate investor in Highlands county florida, and I will prevail!
Re: I CAUGHT MY BANDIT SIGN THIEF!!! - Posted by Kristine-CA
Posted by Kristine-CA on April 14, 2003 at 12:27:36:
Kevin: your drive and amibition is admirable. But I think some of your energy is mis-placed. Think of the many hours you spent trying to find the bandit sign thief (bandit sign thief? there’s a concept)–time that could have been spent doing any number of other things that contribute to your marketing, your rei education, your understanding of your area.
I’m speaking from only my experience, but there are many, many frustrations awaiting you. Lots of double dealings, lots of people with scruples different from yours. Not to mention the incredible ineptitude of some of the professional and trades people that you will have paid top dollar to. But this business is filled with great people and great deals too. Better to focus on the good stuff and let the rest slide.
Just my two cents. Sincerely, Kristine
Re: I CAUGHT MY BANDIT SIGN THIEF!!! - Posted by Kevin
Posted by Kevin on April 14, 2003 at 17:41:04:
WOW, did I cause some chaos or what? I just wanted to share an experience here with my signs. As to what I am going to do about it and the realtor? Check this out. I am going to rent a small billboard in my town, it will mostly read, WE BUY HOUSES! but im thinking about adding the realtors name and her actions. watcha think bout dat?