If they were on private property these types of ordinances have been repeatedly found unconstitutional. If they were on public property they were illegally placed to begin with.
Stop illegally placed campaign signs!
- Thread starter WileCoyote
- Start date
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If they were on private property these types of ordinances have been repeatedly found unconstitutional. If they were on public property they were illegally placed to begin with.
All you have to do is restrict the materials used for all signs and make the costs about the same.
To Wile
I am a Law enforcment officer in Walton County and what you are telling the fine citizens of this county is to commit THEFT. Here is the Florida statute.
812.014 Theft.--
(1) A person commits theft if he or she knowingly obtains or uses, or endeavors to obtain or to use, the property of another with intent to, either temporarily or permanently:
(a) Deprive the other person of a right to the property or a benefit from the property.
(b) Appropriate the property to his or her own use or to the use of any person not entitled to the use of the property.
I agree that there are ordinances concerning this matter but a private citizan cannot legally take these signs. This is the road department and code enforcements job. In short the signs are not yours. Didnt your mother teach you not to steal. Shame Shame.
I am a Law enforcment officer in Walton County and what you are telling the fine citizens of this county is to commit THEFT. Here is the Florida statute.
812.014 Theft.--
(1) A person commits theft if he or she knowingly obtains or uses, or endeavors to obtain or to use, the property of another with intent to, either temporarily or permanently:
(a) Deprive the other person of a right to the property or a benefit from the property.
(b) Appropriate the property to his or her own use or to the use of any person not entitled to the use of the property.
I agree that there are ordinances concerning this matter but a private citizan cannot legally take these signs. This is the road department and code enforcements job. In short the signs are not yours. Didnt your mother teach you not to steal. Shame Shame.
Beachy, if the signs are on the right of way, they are nothing more than litter, in my opinion, and I have collected and disposed of much litter from the right of ways in Walton County. What distinguishes illegally placed signs from litter? Also, if those signs are knocked down, are they viewed differently than if they are erect on public right of way? I hope local law and Code Enforcement will be doing their jobs, so that I don't have to volunteer to pick up litter.
Have WCSO deputies been instructed to enforce 812.014 specifically in regards to citizen removal of campaign signs? I do agree that removal is a road department job.
If the "benefit" of the sign to the politician and owner is to advertise, and Code Enforcement takes the sign, are they, too committing theft, since they are depriving the owner the benefit? If it applies to the general public, it should apply to all, including law enforcement. Personally, I am 100% for law enforcement and code enforcement doing their job of confiscating the signs, and fining the politicians the maximum amount per sign for charges of littering. County Commissioners already complain about Code Enforcement not taking a proactive stand on enforcing County Codes, so I hope they will ride their butts on this issue too. Oh, wait, the County Commissioners and Sheriff are politicians.
According to the new sign I saw at a public access to the beach, all items left on the beach overnight will be remove. No Exceptions. I see the right of way not much different than the beach. The TDC even has a campaign, "remove it or lose it." Surely, that applies to the various illegally posted signs all over Walton County. With all the signs I see posted on the right of way, on a daily basis, I'd say Code Enforcement needs to get in the practice of removing the signs. Commissioners say they are tired of getting the complaints, and they want Code Enforcement to take an active roll in enforcing the removal of such signs. Looks like they aren't taking the hint. I'm still wondering what all of those shiny Code Enforcement F-150s are doing sitting still behind the CE Office.
One other question for Law Enforcement. When the County mowers run over the signs and shred them to pieces, is that against the law, too? Or, do they need to get off the tractor, move the signs over, mow, then replace the signs into their original position? Or, do the politicians request that the right of ways not be mowed during election season. The smart littering candidates place their illegal signs adjacent to permanent DOT signs, so that they don't get ran over by the mowers.