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Thousand Oaks enforcing rules, pulling down open house signs informs Realtors
City policy addresses 'sign blight'; officials inform Realtors of rules
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More from BusinessRobert Merritt has tried to sell his house in Thousand Oaks for a year and a half.
The Camarillo resident held weekly open houses every Sunday until last month.
Merritt hasn't found a buyer for the house on Otono Circle. The city found his open house signs sitting throughout the neighborhood on public land and confiscated them.
A city employee in a city truck stopped by the house and told Merritt he had removed two of the signs, Merritt said. He added that in the back of the truck were numerous real estate company signs advertising open houses.
"The real estate industry (has) been doing this, for gosh, how many years?" asked Merritt. "Everybody puts open house signs up in the neighborhoods. Here I am, just some little guy trying to sell my own house."
Thousand Oaks has a policy designed to keep in check the proliferation of signs. A worker patrols the city on Sunday and Monday collecting the offending signs. Signs can be retrieved from the municipal service center.
"Our goal is to address the kind of sign blight which can happen in some cities," said Jay Spurgin, Thousand Oaks' deputy director of public works. "We try to get the word out because it's certainly not our intent to make it harder for people to make a living or sell their house."
City officials have reached out to area Realtors, making presentations about the rules governing open house signs.
Signs not owned by the city are not allowed in the public right of way (medians, median islands and parkways) without permits. But permits are not issued for open house, for sale, garage sale or other miscellaneous signs, according to a pamphlet produced by the city.
In Simi Valley, open house signs are allowed between the sidewalk and the street as long as they are not blocking anything, senior planner Christine Silver said.
As for Merritt, he doesn't intend on having any more open houses in the near future and has turned to potential buyers online.
"I think it's a terrible time to enforce it when people really need to sell their homes," he said.
Posted by SmashyCrashy on April 16, 2008 at 12:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Where is the story regarding the Dataquick report out today reporting record low sales volume and record price drop?
Posted by tom on April 16, 2008 at 6:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If only they would remove the Open House and Garage Sales signs in Camarillo....
Posted by ssakoian on April 16, 2008 at 6:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It is nice to NOT have all the clutter, but it is also really difficult to find places if you don't have the Open House signs. Simi Valley is smart - allow them - but the thing is, that they do need to be removed. Seems to me that the best thing to do is to 1) require a permit, 2) a list of where the signs will be posted, 3) limit the time for posting. A requirement of having all signs have the street addresses on them so they are identifiable would help - and then if they are still out there, the city can track down owners, and settle "extra fees" - a.k.a. fines.
Of course, idea is good, but mischief can occur so no one would want to do it....
Posted by wdwinder1 on April 16, 2008 at 7:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
But campaign signs are OK?
Posted by keepin_it_real on April 16, 2008 at 9:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good point wdwinder1--I see all the time 2-3 even sometime 4 campaign signs in a yard at once. That is clutter!!!!
Posted by Oranges on April 16, 2008 at 11:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
jw1000- Get ready for the county's most public dependant politico, Tony "The Tiger" Stickland, to invade yards from SB to Simi.
Posted by Face on April 16, 2008 at 11:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
jw1000's quick shtick, find an article and somehow work "I hate Bush" into it no matter what the segue is required. What an absolute Bore.
Posted by Fred on April 16, 2008 at 1:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Campaign signs should also not be put in a public place (on your lawn is fine IMHO).
Realtors have destroyed any credibility they once had and are now considered to be the most dishonest and poorly trained money grubbing idiots (no offense to you good ones out their, but there are so many bad ones it is impossible to distinguish). Thus, this is a natural backlash, I think they are all crooks and I have left the housing market... the whole industry is so slimy from the banks down that I just cant deal with them at all (yes, I will remain a poor renter for ever, but I dont care, I just cant stand them at all).
Strange huh? i have prenty of money to buy a house (probably could pay now for 30% of it) but I cant bring myself to even look at any aspect of the industry
Fred
Posted by ridgewalker101 on April 17, 2008 at 9:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I had some idiot realtor pound an open house sign into my lawn for a house that was for sale across the street. I ripped it out right in front of her and threw it into the middle of the street.
There are sometimes 6 or 8 signs with flags for one open house, looks like a circus.
Realtors have become as loved as used car salesman by not policing their own.
Posted by freethought on April 17, 2008 at 11:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Fred and rifgewalker - Actually, the public disgust for realtors has been at its peak for over a year now. There was a story based on a poll early last year that indicated realtors as the least trusted professionals in the country - below used car salespeople and door-to-door salespeople.
SmashyCrashy - Thanks again for keeping us informed and educated. We know the score with the VC Star. Realtors and lenders have them in their back pockets.
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