Sign Bandits? Habitation Realty on channel 11 local news

Houston’s bandit sign patrols netting 'For Sale' signs, too

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06:55 PM CDT on Tuesday, September 22, 2009
By Lee McGuire / 11 News
HOUSTON – As political signs dot the streetscape, Houston’s bandit sign patrols are working harder than ever – and netting a new kind of catch: “For Sale” signs.
Reggie Harris, who leads the city’s bandit sign patrols for the Public Works Department, said real estate signs are often placed in the city right of way, which makes them a target for removal.
“As long as we see signs in the right of ways, we confiscate them,” he said. “An illegally placed sign in the city of Houston is an illegally placed sign.”
Realtor Chris Mastrangelo knows the city’s determination firsthand. In 2007 he moved to Houston from New York City and set up shop in a renovated bungalow in the Heights. His brokerage, Habitation Realty, has had three signs vanish in the last few months. Mastrangelo suspects city crews hoisted them from in front of homes he is trying to sell.
“The last thing we need is something that will make it more difficult to sell a house,” he said.
Mastrangelo has started placing his bright green aluminum signs in the yards of houses he is selling, which the city says is perfectly legal. However, this often forces the signs to be placed behind fences or landscaping.
“It’s crucial to have a sign on the ground so people know it’s for sale,” he said. “If that sign is hidden or further back, then it is definitely going to affect the sale of the property.”
A spokesman for the Houston Association of Realtors says it has noticed an uptick in the number of “For Sale” signs confiscated by the city, especially signs for open houses that are generally placed down the street from the homes being marketed. However, the Association is not taking a formal position on the issue because many realtors support enforcement of the city’s bandit sign rules, a spokesman said.
Harris, with the city, said realtors can get their signs back by paying a $50 fee plus a storage fee of $10 a day.
Mastrangelo said he would love to do that – if the city would return his calls. “I called the city three times and got no response,” he said.
At $700 a pop, he said, “I would love to get them back