(estate agent) Sold signs

[Green Goose]

edcam Wrote:

>

> None. I'd prefer them not to be there in the first

> place. It's not up to me to remove them and quite

> possibly illegal for me to do so.

Here is an excerpt from Lambeth's guidelines

http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/planning-applications/estate-agent-boards-guide

""The advertisement shall be removed within 14 days after the completion of a sale or the grant of a tenancy""

Presumably Southwark have similar guidelines.

So, after 14 days from sale/letting the signs are illegal.

Some of the signs on E.D.R had been there for years! Therefore highly ILLEGAL.

http://www.chiswickw4.com/shared/eprop06.htm

Don't be a woos! Have some civic pride and pull them down.

[jomou]

Edit: Retracted post. Not worth getting into.

[Lazero]

Good work Green Goose.

A few are back up outside Altima Court. There are two flats that are currently for sale, so I can live with those for now (Ludlow Thompson and No Flies).

Portico (see red devil's post) have also put a sign up even though they have no properties for sale or lease in the building. Clearly just trying to get their new name out there, as they only seem to have 3 ED properties on the books right now. I wonder how widely they are doing this, has anyone else seen these appearing?

I've emailed them to point this all out and to ask them to take it down, otherwise I'll just cut it down and bin it this weekend.

[James Barber]

I've asked council officers if we could use the Localism Act to ban or increase controls for these board.

Initial response:

"

I'm afraid I don't have a quick answer to this question but in short if having considered current enforcement powers it is not possible to enforce a local by-law is an alternative.

A point to consider is that these boards are on private land in many cases with the homeowner giving agreement to them being put up, in addition many agents offer discounts on fees if you agree to a board. The fundamental question is whether they are causing a nuisance or are a safety risk?

I will ask a member of my team to undertake a short piece of research on the point and come back to you with more information regarding process and cost.

"

I'll keep you posted...

[Ptolemy]

Appreciated here too, Green Goose: I'm currently staying in a flat overlooking the signs, and was thinking they were a real eyesore. It's a pleasure to look over the balcony now!

I can't offer the same compliments to whoever I spotted turning up with a broom and bin bag to clean the Altima Court entrance steps a few days ago, and who chucked a loose Jackson's sign lying there out onto the pavement, and a largish piece that had come off it into one of the adjacent gardens. Whilst it's great that someone's tasked to deal with the doorway rubbish, littering ED Road and someone's garden in the process would seem to negate the point of the exercise.

[Green Goose]

Ptolemy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Appreciated here too, Green Goose: I'm currently

> staying in a flat overlooking the signs, and was

> thinking they were a real eyesore. It's a pleasure

> to look over the balcony now!

>

Update. We took a down whole bunch over this last weekend around Abbots Wood and Glengarry but there are still heaps to go all around E.D. What is evident is that agents will leave the "SOLD" signs up forever as this is free exposure. They are allowed 14 days by law after the sale.

So, I urge you all to tear down any sign that says "SOLD" or "LET" that has been up for more than 14 days and then report them to Southwark.

GG

[Nigello]

I am still none the wiser as to where you put them. Do you find a skip, return them to the agent, break them up and put them in a wood burner or what? Please let us know so we may do the same.

[Dun]

Hi, what about the latest trend in locking a bike with an advertisement board on it to a "bike locking station" (sorry mind blank for correct term)? There are a few bike parking places (look on parade on Grove Vale by Blackbird Bakery) being taken by bike locked long term advertising different businesses but that means I can't lock my bike there sometimes as other places are full. Can those be removed?

[the-e-dealer]

have a try! you might be able to remove the staples from the sign.

[Green Goose]

Dun Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi, what about the latest trend in locking a bike

> with an advertisement board on it to a "bike

> locking station" (sorry mind blank for correct

> term)? There are a few bike parking places (look

> on parade on Grove Vale by Blackbird Bakery) being

> taken by bike locked long term advertising

> different businesses but that means I can't lock

> my bike there sometimes as other places are full.

> Can those be removed?

Most definitely! It is an illegal attachment of advertising material ( ie fly posting) to what is classified as "street furniture" ie lamp posts, traffic lights, bollards, cabinets etc etc.

You are quite within your rights to assist the Council by removing them. As a responsible citizen, you have a community obligation to do so.

Just because someone attaches their advertising to a bicycle which is then attached to street furniture does not absolve them from the law.

Protect your community and environment by removing these opportunistic and illegal fly postings.

If you havn't got a bolt cutters then get a big felt tip pen and write "scam" or "rip-off" of "Cheats" or something similar across it, They soon desist.

You will feel a whole lot better when you have done it.

GG

[Green Goose]

Nigello Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I am still none the wiser as to where you put

> them. Do you find a skip, return them to the

> agent, break them up and put them in a wood burner

> or what? Please let us know so we may do the same.

Nigello,

You keep asking this question.

To satisfy your curiosity, I can assure you that they are recycled.

For guidance on what you should do, you can do with them whatever you want. They are in effect illegal advertising materials in a public place.

Now I have answered all your questions, just answer two of mine...........

1. How many, if any, have you removed?????

2. Are you employed by an estate agency????

GG

[Nigello]

I have removed none, but when I see them lying in the street or still in place after the property has been sold or rented, I phone the estate agent in question and ask them to take them away (and pursue them till the job is done).

I do not work for an estage agent.

I also pick up litter in the street, report damaged/missing trees and fly-tipping and remove those annoying yellow council sheets tied to posts and trees - but only after the three weeks notice has expired.

Satisfied that I match your level of commitment? (or is that "??????????")

[Lazero]

GG - what about those cars that have advertisements on them? Typically very old cars that might otherwise be scrapped, and they have "man with a van" or "cars wanted 4 cash" plastered all over them. They seem to be parked on every busy street when there are no yellow lines.

I suppose the owners would argue that it's no different to British Gas or BT labeling their own vans. But they almost never move and so they also strike me as illegal public advertising.

[Green Goose]

Lazero,

Simples, get a very wide felt tip marker and write "Scam!" , or "Rip-Off" or something similar and they will soon desist.

Oh, and let the air out of all four wheels. Then they won't come back.

GG

[Green Goose]

Dun Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi, what about the latest trend in locking a bike

> with an advertisement board on it to a "bike

> locking station" (sorry mind blank for correct

> term)? There are a few bike parking places (look

> on parade on Grove Vale by Blackbird Bakery) being

> taken by bike locked long term advertising

> different businesses but that means I can't lock

> my bike there sometimes as other places are full.

> Can those be removed?

Dun,

I had a close look at one of the advertising bicycles yesterday and it is evident they have been seriously prepared. The hard plastic advertising sheets have been attached to thick plywood with non-removable screws and the two plywood sheets are connected to each other (over the cross bar) with similar screws. The bike is then attached to the parking rail with a very serious chain. This is not a casual and brief bit of fly-posting but a serious violation of the law - quite apart from being an inconvenience to others who want to lock up their bikes there.

After sending a photo to Southwark, I would suggest either one or both of the following two courses of action.

1. Use a claw hammer (or small pry bar) to rip the plastic sign off the plywood parts.

2. Use a cordless angle grinder to cut the chain and detatch the bike from the lampost.

For those who don't want to get that involved, I would suggest using a paint spray can and obliterate the advertising.

Good hunting!

[Dun]

lol I don't have the items needed for options 1) 2) so will write to Southwark!

it is annoying when useful bike locking spaces are taken up by illegal advertising

[Green Goose]

Dun,

Rather than write, I suggest e-mail with attached photo to

[email protected]

They also have a Hot Line 020 7525 2000

For good measure always keep a spray can in your back-pack!

GG

[landsberger]

There's circumstantial evidence that one estate agent was erecting them outside properties to advertise themselves, even when they were not involved in the sale (usually blocks)

[robbin]

GG are you a lawyer? Because you are inciting/suggesting people should damage/deface property belonging to others by using marker pens, spray-cans, angle grinders or by other means.

You also suggest people scrawl "Scam", "con-man" or "rip-off" over advertising (while apparently only objecting to the legality of the advert, not the underlying honesty of the service being advertised). Surely placing an illegally positioned advert does not make the business a scam, a con or a rip off?

I hope you have understood the law correctly, because if you are wrong, people might be taking issue with the legality of what you are suggesting (criminal damage, defamation). Isn't it better to report these annoying things to the council/councillors/trading standards rather than take the action you suggest? I should say, I, like you, find the adverts and the manner of their placement extremely annoying and anti-social, so I can understand your frustration - I'm just not convinced people should be reaching for their spray-cans or hacksaws! Just saying.

[Green Goose]

robbin Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> GG are you a lawyer?

>

I should say, I,

> like you, find the adverts and the manner of their

> placement extremely annoying and anti-social, so I

> can understand your frustration - I'm just not

> convinced people should be reaching for their

> spray-cans

robbin,

I am not, however one member of our group is a senior articled clerk who is professionally well briefed on the relevant Acts.

And yes, the question of legality has been raised with the Council and we have their unreserved and enthusiastic support for our efforts.

GG

[OutOfFocus]

Hi

Does this group have a name and contact details. Apologies if it has already been mentioned.

[Green Goose]

"The Wild Geese". Just send a PM.

GG

[Tony2014]

A few weeks ago a Petermans board appeared outside my flat (one of three in the house none of which were let by or managed by Petermans), on the fence post shared with our neighbours. I noticed then that a lot of Petersen boards had suddenly appeared around the streets always on houses that had a number of flat conversions. I spoke to my neighbours and they confirmed that none in their house were let by Petermans and the same applied to the the flats across the road. My neighbour there told me they had rung Petermans to remove it and the person on the end of the phone had been 'less than helpful' so she took it down herself. It might be that they are going around putting up boards outside houses/buildings with multiple flats hoping that the residents will assume the board is referring to another flat.

[Green Goose]

Tony2014,

It is an increasingly prevalent and abhorrent practice called "Fly Boarding".

It is designed to direct inquiries to that agent who will then offer them an alternative property.

The fact that your neighbour took it down herself is very commendable. We just wish more residents would do this and also of course report it to Southwark Council.

GG

[the-e-dealer]

and now we have the problem of Political Party Signs -who collects those?