r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Apprehensive-Cat-942 • 7h ago
My cat is standing on my face The amount of political signs placed on private property
Every time someone places a sign we have to take it up, this is the collection so far.
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u/Idkmyname2079048 7h ago
Is this all from your own property? I'm kind of confused because I've never heard of someone placing signs like this without asking. Where I live, you either get the sign if you want it, or you get asked by a friend or acquaintance if they can put one in your yard. That would certainly annoy me to just randomly have political signs appearing.
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u/Acrobatic_Pen_7933 6h ago
when i was growing up, we lived in a house on the corner of main street. you could see town hall from my house and you absolutely would not believe the way our yard was treated like public property over the years
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u/MandibleofThunder 5h ago
Would you believe me if I told you I believe you?
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u/Formerruling1 4h ago
Same, except instead of town hall I owned the corner lot of the street the polling station was at the end of. I, like OP, would just quietly take them down most of the time.
One time though a candidate was out there in a big truck literally getting ready to stake in one of those 5x3 billboard signs into the yard and we decided to go out and ask what he was doing. He said the city had told him this was public land and authorized him to put the billboard up. I believe him because the city routinely tried to use the land themselves - parking tractors and mowers and such there. To his credit he was extremely apologetic.
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u/Check_Me_Out-Boss 2h ago
I live on a corner of my community street and people just put their signs up randomly in my yard all the time.
I just take them down and keep the metal part lol
I think I have about 20.
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u/Apprehensive-Cat-942 6h ago
It’s where I work, it’s on a corner of a busy street but we don’t want to come across as favoring a political party/candidate so we have to take them up whenever someone places them
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u/mattyg1964 5h ago
So nowhere near your personal property? What you’re doing is illegal, it’s theft.
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u/Smileypen 5h ago
It's private property. What these people are doing amounts to trespassing and vandalism. Fuck their signs.
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u/mattyg1964 5h ago
He said the corner of a busy street. That’s not private property. Sucks but… not private.
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u/PB0351 5h ago
If it's his company's lot, it is absolutely private property.
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u/mefirefoxes 5h ago
Right of way is not private property and typically extends some distance past the road/sidewalk towards the property.
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u/zu-na-mi 4h ago
The right of way is still private property, there's just lawful access for legitimate purposes.
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u/mefirefoxes 4h ago
What you described is an easement, not right of way. In the US, right of way belongs to the authority having jurisdiction over it, although a specific property owner may still be responsible for maintaining.
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u/SwayingBacon 4h ago
Right of ways can be private in the US with limited access. Right of ways specifically deal with travel and are themselves easements. Not all easements are a right of way because they can exists for other purposes then travel related.
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u/mattyg1964 4h ago
Public right of way, adjacent to sidewalks and the sort . Still illegal in most states, but the correct response would be to call the popo and have the authorities remove them. If you just take them it is “unlawful taking”. I don’t agree, just saying that’s the law.
Legal Definition
A person commits theft by unlawful taking if they:
• For movable property (things that can be moved, such as signs, tools, electronics, cash, etc.):
Unlawfully take or exercise unlawful control over the movable property of another with intent to deprive the owner of it.-7
u/mattyg1964 3h ago
So far 19 people downvoted a posting of the law. You people are hopeless. 😂😂😂
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u/Kitchen-Nectarine179 3h ago
Because that law doesnt fit to the situation.
There is no unlawful taking.
OP is even keeping the signs abandoned on the property in case the owner wants to come back and claim them.
If I throw trash in your yard it isn't illegal for you to throw it away.
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u/mattyg1964 1h ago
Sure it does, the law here doesn’t change based on the situation. No different than if I dropped my wallet in the doorway of a business… they can’t just decide to keep
It. It’s called theft by unlawful taking no matter how it got there or if it belongs. They obviously made no attempt to return the property to its rightful owner. Now it’s theft. And again, not trash. It has value. A great deal of value given what is at stake in an election, potentially. It’s mildly infuriating that people do this, but it doesn’t change the fact that you can’t just keep people’s shit.•
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u/Apprehensive-Cat-942 5h ago
Well they’re placing it what’s still on the company’s property, it’s a nature preserve so there’s over 200 acres. I just do what the boss man tells me
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u/shiny0metal0ass 5h ago
It's also nowhere near their private property, which is why it isn't theft.
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u/mattyg1964 3h ago
You can’t just take people shit. That’s theft every time.
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u/spareloo 3h ago
You can throw away the trash someone dumps in your property. Political signs are a blight.
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u/mattyg1964 3h ago
That’s not trash, it has value. By the illogical logic here if my wife and I visit this business and she leaves her purse on a table, they can just keep it. Cmon people, we’re smarter than this. We were talking about whether or not this was theft. It is. You can’t just keep people’s shit.
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u/Kitchen-Nectarine179 3h ago
That’s not trash, it has value.
The signs do not have value, they have a cost, but no actual value.
The value is in their placement, which belongs to the private property owner.
Your illogical logic is that if you leave a bag of McDonalds on the counter of a business they wouldnt be allowed to throw it away but instead must leave it sitting on the counter.
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u/Unctuous_Robot 5h ago
This isn’t even a matter of businesses being people, the owners own the land and don’t want the signs there.
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u/PhatCatTax 6h ago
As others have said, they'll do it if you live on a corner property. Especially if the corner has a wall or shrubs or something that makes it seem less obviously like private land.
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u/-Invalid_Selection- 55m ago
We had issues in 2016 where Trump signs were being put in random people's yards and the people putting them there embedded razor blades in them to hurt the home owners of they tried to remove them.
News was telling people to wear thick gardening gloves to remove any sign that got left in their yard like that
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u/analogpursuits 5h ago
Paint them white, then put your own message:
MY PROPERTY IS NOT YOUR POLITICAL PLATFORM
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u/StormFallen9 6h ago
Those signs make good back stops to staple a target on for shooting. My scout camp got a bunch of them and they lasted a good while
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u/Nuklearfps PURPLE 2h ago
Ayyy that’s what we did too! Granted, looking back at it, I think the choices of who’s signs might’ve been a bit malicious by the people running the range, but I didn’t care about that crap back then anyways. Was 1,000x more focused on “Shoot fun. Gun go bang.” Simpler times 😂
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u/Rhodin265 5h ago
Put up a sign that says something like “Advertise Here! Low rates, call now (Google Voice number)”. Bet you never get another sign again.
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u/Apprehensive-Cat-942 5h ago
Not a bad idea. In the winter people place “buy hot tubs at the is number” or during the summer “buy pools” signs everywhere too
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u/Nuklearfps PURPLE 2h ago
Sounds like a missed opportunity then! Clearly there’s a massive market for people wanting to advertise there. Capitalize on it!!
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u/nowhereman136 5h ago
The sad part is that for most local elections, name recognition matters more than policy or even party affiliation.
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u/SupposedMage420 6h ago
Some bee keepers use these maybe see if there's a local club to donate them to?
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u/Hypervisory 7h ago
Those signs must cost something, I wonder where the money comes from...
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u/Material-Jacket3939 7h ago
From people replying to the hundreds of text messages they receive during election season.
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u/3_14159td 5h ago
I was confused for a minute like "I'm not sure how threatening to commit increasingly heinous crimes against the sender would help there" but then remembered those are asking for money.
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u/suddentuna 7h ago
Donations to the political group and some people pay for them to be delivered to their house. My dad did that during our last election
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u/ironicmirror 7h ago
Odd that it's so.. categorized.
Looks more like a sign drop that the parties put together for one person to come by and pick up a whole bunch of signs for different candidates.
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u/PhatCatTax 6h ago
If multiple people keep putting their same candidates sign on your property, then you'll have multiple copies of the same sign.
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u/ironicmirror 6h ago
If you had to go around and pull up signs every time they put it down, you would be putting different candidates signs down next to each other, unless you're really into sorting and having ADD type thing going on.
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u/Badbullet 6h ago
That sounds how you would do it, not someone else. I definitely would be categorizing them. Easy way to keep track of who to hate more. And there’s not that many sign variations there, this is an easy sort in just a couple of minutes or just sorting from the start each time you gather them. Have you never ordered a deck of cards (trading or playing cards) before when bored?
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u/StormFallen9 6h ago
You don't need to be ADD to sort them lmao
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u/thisisamessy 5h ago
I like that people think ADD is a super power. So ignorant. ADD afflicted people would start pulling then give up. Start organizing them then just start throwing the down.
ADHD is NOT a gift where you overachieve.
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u/Purple_Bowling_Shoes 6h ago
Yes, but if you're pulling them out of your yard are you sorting them in order?
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u/BothTreacle7534 6h ago
I’d do it for simple / fast impression on who the worst offenders are, plus is’t less ~ ‘chaotic’ colours, I’d feel it even more looking like a trash heap if unsorted, especially as bright colours are involved too
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u/Purple_Bowling_Shoes 5h ago
Well, OP added some context in the comments that we didn't have before, so the post and pic make more sense now.
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u/The_Dogman1962 6h ago
You could have stopped at "The amount of political signs". They are an eyesore and visual pollution and should not be allowed.
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u/LaundryMan2008 7h ago
If they use a weak bonding paint, you could strip the paint off and sell them as blank signs, turpentine or 99% IPA can do it, diluted acetone can work but it can melt the sign itself
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u/Kitchen-Nectarine179 2h ago
It's coroplast and metal wires, if you can find someone that will buy "blank signs" you are much better off selling them something else, like a bridge or have them send you money for an African Prince.
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u/LaundryMan2008 2h ago
Happy cake day!
Even if they don’t want them as blank signs, they are good as root and rhizome blockers in the garden since the corrugated plastic sheet is durable against insects and roots trying to poke through
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u/Chief_TeaLeaf2000 7h ago
Listen, I currently don't own a house, and I see these from time to time...
Are you the HOA? I'm not being rude, I promise.
I just wanna know what situation you're in to where you need to remove signs from someone's private property.
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u/Replace_my_sandwich 7h ago
I think they’re suggesting the private land is their own, not that they’re removing it from someone else’s land.
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u/Chief_TeaLeaf2000 6h ago
Ohh I see.
They should put up a sign that says "please stop leaving signs. I will catch you on my doorbell camera and press charges."
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u/crystalbaton01 6h ago
The signs are on their property and they are removing them. They are not taking them from someone else’s property. It says so in the caption under the photo.
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u/marcnerd 2h ago
Oh hello, neighbor. Larry Barnett is a crackpot! Please do not give him your vote!
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u/invaderspatch 2h ago
Hello fellow south carolinian!
Idk if you have the time or the business you work for has the time, but if y'all contact the campaign, they'll come pick them up and make sure their volunteers know not to put them on the private property.
I know for sure the Annie Andrews team will.
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u/Able-Surprise9846 1h ago
People used to place signs along the road on my grandmothers property just outside the cow field. We would pull them constantly. I do not recall there being this many.
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u/Cynvisible 35m ago
I thought they were supposed to ask first.
Put up a "no trespassing" sign.
Call their campaign offices to come get their shit.
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u/SidFinch99 6m ago
Is there a utility poll or street sign on your property or do you work for a landscaping company?
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u/Due_Fun_964 6h ago
I wonder if the area you speaking of is the 10 - 20 feet of right of way near the road. The area you might maintain when cutting the lawn up front. In the US it's not technically you property although I wouldn't be happy about any election signs between the road and my house. If I'm correct you can contact code enforcement (the municipality) and make a complaint.
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u/FormerStuff 5h ago
Oh you mean that piece of land that’s my property when the local government should pay to fix something but is their property when they want to dig it up and fuck with it for six months?
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u/PunfullyObvious 5h ago
But, at least generally, that easement can be used only for very specific purposes and the placing of a political sign by anyone other than the property owner would not generally be such an allowed use.
I use generally only since a specific municipality could potentially define that as an allowed use, but I'd think it would be rare if ever.
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u/Salt-Operation 5h ago
You are referring to an easement, not a right-of-way. The hellstrip (as it’s colloquially known) is still considered private property even if an easement is present. Property owners are required to maintain the area as they do their own land. They can place signs there but it doesn’t give others carte blanche to do so.
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u/tesla3by3 5h ago
It depends on the state and municipality whether it’s an easement or a right of way.
Where I live, the area between the edge of my lawn and the edge of the road way is a publicly owned right of way. I’m responsible for maintaining the sidewalk, keeping it clear of snow, mowing the grass portion, etc.
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u/amccune 6h ago
No right of way is 20 feet. Otherwise, I’ve got to send a bill to the city for taking care of public property.
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u/tesla3by3 5h ago
Right of way includes the roadway. Even excluding the road,ROWs are often 20 feet, to accommodate infrastructure like shoulders, sight lines, equipment, sidewalks, street trees, etc.
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u/Master-Collection488 5h ago
The word "privThe word "private" sends the wrong message here. What is wrong is that they were placed on private property without the owner's consent. Placing them on public property is illegal.
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u/tristand666 2h ago
Yeah, I pull them off the corner near my house all the time. These politicians have no shame.
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u/VindictiveNostalgia Woah! A flair! 6h ago
Why do you have to take it up?
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u/sparklethong 6h ago
A sign in front of their house makes it look like they endorse that candidate, and they don't want that.
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u/VindictiveNostalgia Woah! A flair! 5h ago
OP answered elsewhere, it's not even a house.
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u/IrishDeacon 2h ago
It is still private property, and the people there did not want signs on their property.
OP says that it’s a business, which only reinforces why they don’t want the signs.
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u/Flawless_Reign88 RED 6h ago
I’ve literally never heard of anyone having political signs placed in their yard without consent… pretty sure it’s illegal to do so, which leads me to believe you consented to these being placed in your yard
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u/Apprehensive-Cat-942 5h ago
It’s where I work and the property runs right up to the road and on a corner. It’s a huge property over 200 acres so I’m guessing people are just assuming it’s public land the closer you get to the road
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u/Purple_Bowling_Shoes 7h ago
I've never seen either party place these, especially multiple, without permission. Is someone pranking you or something? Did someone in your house request one, and every time the volunteers come by they don't see a sign so replace it? This is definitely outside the norm.
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u/Apprehensive-Cat-942 5h ago
It’s my works property and they don’t want to come across as political. It’s a nature preserve so lots of acres and I’m guessing those who put the signs up closest to the road think it’s public land
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u/Numerous_Bad1961 5h ago
And they know they are not supposed to put them on public land either. They hoped they could get away with it.
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u/Purple_Bowling_Shoes 5h ago
Ah, well that adds some context i was missing. That's still not cool, but much different than a private home.
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u/Fister-Mantastic 7h ago
OP must live near a busy road/intersection.