My Efforts

History

Back in July 17, 2010, I was written up in a front-page Baltimore Sun article for my efforts to get rid of the scrolling, electronic signs all over the county. This battle still goes on, with mixed help from Code Enforcement, some real good, some less than good, and a refusal by the County Executive to do anything about the failures. For example, a set of complaints were filed for some of these signs on May 13, 2015, whcih took 3 years before any action was taken. See movie of one sign here. My letter to the County Executive asking for assistance got a return "brush-off".

As for the litter caused by small, off-premises, "temporary" signs, usually called "snipe" or "bandit" signs, since keeping track starting in March 2015, I have removed over 20,000 illegal roadside signs from Baltimore County, mostly in the area from White Marsh to Towson. If stacked up, this would be a pile 280 ft high. All of the Coroplast, cardboard, and metal is taken to the Eastern Landfill for recycling. Here is my car packed for one of my trips to the "dump".

Of course, as many people know, I was charged with "theft" after someone saw me pick up one of his "Estate Sale" signs along Providence Rd. A police officer came to my house and asked for the sign back, which I refused to do. (I could hardly open my trunk to get it and let the officer see the 49 other signs I had!) Since I did not return the sign, the Police filed charges with the state prosecutor, and I got a summons to appear in District Court on April 25, 2017. (This date was really ironic, being exactly 5 years after the article in the Baltimore Sun showing Kevin Kamenetz pulling down signs, stating that the County was getting serious about this problem, and noting that "Under the county code, residents are allowed to remove illegal signs themselves.")

Sun article about charging and another about dismissal.

Later Kevin Kamenetz called me and apologized for what had happened to me and re-iterated that every citizen has the irght to pick up "abondoned property" (but he did not offer to reimburse me for the legal expenses).

Everyone in the area needs to watch this company's website where he announces where his sales will be held the next weekend, and go by and remove any illegal signs. If I find any, I will file a complaint and I can promise that a citation will be issued.