Replies

1. 
   Ragnar17 | Jun 20, 2007 11:10pm | #1

   I have no idea whether it'd be effective, but I definitely think the vaseline and pepper spray combo sounds intriguing.  ;)

   How about some large dogpiles on the ground right next to the sign, too?  You know, land mines.

2. 
   Engineerguy | Jun 20, 2007 11:26pm | #2

   Try a motion activated sprinkler. 

   http://www.safepetproducts.com/pilot.asp?pg=scarecrow_main

   The culprits will get wet and maybe they will get the hint.

   " If guns kill people, a spoon made Rosie O'Donnel fat!"
3. 
   TJK | Jun 20, 2007 11:41pm | #3

   Fun to think about, but the way laws are written, you could be liable for injuring the creeps who are stealing the signs. If you intentionally set up a situation that can injure someone, even a trespasser, you fall under the "man trap" laws, and a lawyer for the bad guys can drag you into legal hell. This goes doubly if you have a fat liability insurance policy.

   IOW, don't do it.

1. 
   ronbudgell | Jun 21, 2007 01:45am | #5

   TJK,

   I"m sure you're right about that, but how about a nice fat bead of acoustic caulking on the underside of the sign?

   Ron

4. 
   RedfordHenry | Jun 21, 2007 12:07am | #4

   Betcha one of your competitors lives in the neighborhood, maybe someone that you bid against for the project.  Your signs are probably still in his garage.  Don't stoop to his level. 

5. 
   seeyou | Jun 21, 2007 02:29am | #6

   Are you sure the homeowner is not the culprit and was there any lawn mowing going on around the time they dissapeared?

   http://grantlogan.net/

1. 
   bc | Jun 21, 2007 02:56am | #7

   positive. no one lives there. i really don't know what's going on. signs cost money... someone is stealing them. this is what is pissing me off. I was in Home Depot yesterday... family of 5 walks right up to the Shark Bite plumbing fittings. they don't care what size they are getting... they were just grabbing handfuls since these things are soo expensive. i was like wtf!

2. 
   Luka | Jun 21, 2007 03:06am | #8

   Or a neighbor who dislikes lawn signs.

   Fight fire with water.

6. 
   renosteinke | Jun 21, 2007 03:30am | #9

   Is it possible that the signs are in violation of some homeowners' association rule? Ir that you did not have permission to post them there?

   There have been several times (that I know about) that the signs were removed for exactly those reasons.

7. 
   maverick | Jun 21, 2007 03:38am | #10

   I would guess the neighbors dislike the signs. I have a neighbor who had work done and completed several months ago but the sign is still there. been thinking about a midnite caper myself

   In my opinion they crap up the neighborhood

8. 
   cameraman | Jun 21, 2007 03:42pm | #11

   Are your signs placed in the correct location? In our city signs placed in the city easement can and will be removed by code enforsement. No notice or warning.

   Call your muncipality and check, they might have quite a collections of signs.

1. 
   brownbagg | Jun 21, 2007 03:50pm | #12

   here, any work done on a house must have a contractor sign, while work being done.

9. 
   Piffin | Jun 21, 2007 05:21pm | #13

   Are you sure the yard signs are legal there? Many communities legislate against that sort of advertising, so 'somebody' is enforcing the rules, whether they have the authority to do it or not.

   But when that happens here, the codes officer says something to the offender in broad daylight and lets them remove it.

   Yours sounds more like a jealous competitor

    

    

   Welcome to the
   Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
    where ...
   Excellence is its own reward!

10. 
    alrightythen | Jun 21, 2007 05:46pm | #14

    My ex used to have a yard sign for her Esthetics business that she ran from our house. it was missing one day. Then got a call from a guy who saw it from his upstairs window sitting atop his trailer. was was able to read the phone number.

     I guess some kids threw it up there. you couldn't see it from the ground. had he pulled the trailer away it could have flown off in traffic and hurt someone. It was a fairly big plywood sign I'd cut out for her in the shape of a giant foot.

    next day I dug a hole down several feet and filled it with concrete. I then embedded an anchor in that I could chain the sign up to. the top portion of the concrete was set within 4" PVC. so that I could cap it when the sign might not be up.

    all was well until someone came flying around the corner, drove up on our neighbours lawn, across ours and ran over the sign leaving the steal frame a little bent.

    Guess someone had it in for Giant foots.

       View Image                                          View Image    
1. 
   Piffin | Jun 21, 2007 06:52pm | #15

   I have to ask so I can mark it down that this is what I learnt today -
   What is an Esthetics business? I am picturing something like interior decorating from the name, but then there is this big plywood foot...Foot in mouth business?;) 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   alrightythen | Jun 21, 2007 08:37pm | #17

   Esteticians, do manicures ( make hands and fingers look nice) pedicures ( make feet and toes look and feel nice) I never really let her touch my hands but she used to take this very scary looking razor like tool and shave the dead skin off my feet.

   they also do facials ( make peoples faces look and feel nice - not with make up - with peels and masks and stuff like that) more scary stuff - she had what is called  a lancet. which is a needle like thing she would stick in your ( my face) and get out "white heads" I did not like that and she called me a big baby. she also did massages..that was really the only thing I liked.

   she did few other things but that is mainly what they do. They have big salons that women flock too and try to get there men to go so that there hands aren't so rough. especially us tough worker types. actually now that I think back....aside from the razor like tool, the pedicure was pretty nice. included a foot massage and warm booties with paraffin wax to make em feel nice.   View Image                                          View Image    

2. 
   mrfixitusa | Jun 21, 2007 07:02pm | #16

   My daughter is going to school to be an esthetician.She starts school next week in Denver.The program length is about 1 and 1/2 years.How long has your wife been an esthetician?My daughter wants to finish school and go to work for a plastic surgeon.^^^^^^

    

   a Smith & Wesson beats four Aces

1. 
   alrightythen | Jun 21, 2007 08:42pm | #18

   My wife and I are separated, but she did it for about 4 years. I put her thru school when we were newlyweds. she 1st took out space in a hair salon and struggled for the 1st year. when we moved she opened her own business in our home and within 6 months she was booming. she was good at it and very successful. - thanks to the plywood foot advertsing most likely  :)

   she closed her business when we adopted our boys. she tried to do it part time for ahwile but it was too much.   View Image                                          View Image    

1. 
   pgproject | Jun 21, 2007 10:17pm | #19

   My $.02- many folks just don't like advertising 'junking up' their neighborhood. Imagine if every house had signs in the yard. I don't allow contractors to post a sign when they're working on my property, I don't allow the realtor to post a "SOLD" sign, etc.Again, my $.02.Billl

1. 
   Piffin | Jun 21, 2007 10:23pm | #20

   That is why a lot of places make it illegal to post signs like that. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

2. 
   alrightythen | Jun 21, 2007 10:27pm | #21

   "I don't allow the realtor to post a "SOLD" sign, etc."

   but you don't mind the "for sale" sign part?

   I live mission which is the home based business capital of Canada. due largely in part to the fact that our business distric is very small. we got signs on lawns all over the place. and some of them are actually really cool.

   but....to each his own, nobody says you gotta like signs.   View Image                                          View Image    

3. 
   seeyou | Jun 22, 2007 01:01am | #24

   I don't allow contractors to post a sign when they're working on my property, I don't allow the realtor to post a "SOLD" sign, etc.

    

   Those signs actually serve two puposes. The contractor sign makes it easy for supply trucks and subs to find the job site for the first time. The sold sign tells prospective buyers to move on and not call about this property. And then there's the advertising aspect.http://grantlogan.net/

    

   Sometimes, when I lie in bed at night and look up at the stars, I think to myself, "Man! I really need to fix that roof."

11. 
    EJCinc | Jun 21, 2007 10:37pm | #22

    I was building my own house in a brand new subdivision.  ONly one couple was living there yet.  About five houses were under construction.  My stuff was getting delivered to there sites and vice versa.  I put up my nicest job sign - they all are nice but it was my newest.

    Next day it was in the garage.  Strange I thought.  Awful nice criminals in these parts.  I put it back out.

    Next day it's back in the garage!  Ok I'm getting pissed.  I put it back out... and I place the blade of my bulldozer over it to keep it from getting pulled out.

    Next day?  BACK IN THE GARAGE!!??  I'm fuming now.  I put it back and place the blade in a way that it is impossible to remove.

    Next day the realtor for the subdivision stops by and says i can't have a sign on the job.  I say oh yes I can it says so right in the subdivison restrictions that a contractor's or realtor's sign is allowed while work is being completed.  She says that their company policy restricts builders from placing their own signs on their own jobs ( I hate Howard Hanna Realtors, but that's another story).  I told her I bought the lot from the developer not the realtor.  Her rules don't apply to me because i am not one of "their" builders.  She says take it down or I'm not leaving.  I'm not sure how long she stayed there that night but she was gone in the morning and the sign was still there.

    I couldn't keep a dozer parked over my sign for the rest of the job so I had my little 5'x 10' enclosed trailer that I had just for misc stuff lettered up and parked it in front of the house for the remainder of the project.  It was nice.  LIght enough to move around by hand if needed.  Heavy enough she didn't touch it.  Plus we could store stuf in it if needed.  Plus my bigger 7'x14' trailer all lettered up was there off and on.  I received all of my deliveries after that and I think people know who was building the house based on the calls.

     

    Legal Disclaimer: The preceeding comments are for entertainment purposes only and are in no way to be construed as professional advice. The reader of these comments agrees to hold harmless the poster, EJCinc, from any and all claims that EJCinc offered professional advice, ideas, or comments to the reader that may or may not have resulted in the damage, injury, or death to the readers property or person.

    
    

    ---

    Edited 6/21/2007 3:42 pm ET by EJCinc

12. 
    bobbys | Jun 21, 2007 10:39pm | #23

    I switched all the Kerry, Bush signs around in my neighborhood for fun but i dont see why your sign would bother anyone, sounds more like a neighbor then another contractor

13. 
    reinvent | Jun 22, 2007 01:24am | #25

    Set up a web cam with a motion sensor. Make sure it is IR so it can see at night.

14. 
    JohnT8 | Jun 22, 2007 03:09am | #26

    My roofer mentioned that he has trouble with people stealing his signs.  He uses those metal frame ones (like realtor for sale signs).  He thinks people are stealing the signs for the metal frames and just throwing his sign away.  The mason said he is missing 3 signs (same kind), but just figured he'd misplaced them somewhere. 

     

    jt8

    "When I was a young man I vowed never to marry until I found the ideal woman. Well, I found her but, alas, she was waiting for the ideal man." -- Alain

1. 
   DougU | Jun 22, 2007 06:56am | #27

   I think its time for a stake out!

   Doug