I have just (today) discovered this forum.

Late last spring my wife and I were charged with petty larceny and trespass for removing signs advertising "cage fighting" from Virginia roadsides. http://brleader.com/?p=8687

Until last year our county had a volunteer program to pick up illegal roadside spam. In 2 years these volunteers picked up 52,000 signs within Loudoun County. Nonetheless, during the first meeting of our local Board of Supervisors the new board killed the program- http://www.leesburgtoday.com/news/article_b34681d2-880a-11e1-91c9-001a4bcf887a.html http://www.leesburgtoday.com/news/article_ba93426c-41f7-11e1-91ea-001871e3ce6c.html

I've been picking up illegal roadside spam for decades and my Great Grandmother was involved with the adoption of the sign ordinance- one of the first in the country.

If anyone has any information or advice which would help us with our case I would greatly appreciate it. We have already spent 5K

some additional links- http://realloudoun.com/2012/06/07/plowman-sides-with-the-crooks/
http://realloudoun.com/2012/06/08/its-nice-to-have-friends-in-office/

For the record, we didn't go on private property, nor did we remove any signs from in front of the complainants' business- this case is about revenge

There's a guy over in Alexandria or Arlington, not sure which, that's experienced your same situation. I'll try and find his contact informatmion and send you a PM.

In the mean time check out the VA forums, there's a ton of information in the archives.

on edit, check the individual's contact information.
http://www.causs.org/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=55&topic_id=135&mesg_id=135&page=

GW

Thank you very much for your reply. I've already been in touch (today) with who I believe is the person you mention. I think we are going to touch base via phone later today.

On another note, I'm having problems viewing any post but my own on this forum. I click on it and I get a blank page. The gentleman you reference had posted his trial transcripts which would be very useful to read (and give to my lawyer)

Thanks again

Had an inspiring conversation with the gentleman from Arlington 2 days ago. I'll keep the forum updated with news of the case and impending actions

From my exprience here in Las Vegas we got the commisioners to put an end to the Illegal signage in ROW's

Each jurisdiction willl enforce the Code differently. No Gov't involbment and your gonna be left to gorrilla tactics. Our Codes did allow the Real Estate sgnage, and I never relly touched them, but like your case their was renegrade folks who would manipulate this provision in the Code for whatever they wanted to hauck on the roadside signs.

I personnlaly been confronted once or twice over the years. On this Fourm here they took on the Causs. Welll he is long gone, thanks to our Code getting envoled.

I had good relationships with our Code over the last ten years or so when I started this hobby. I would stop in to their office once a year until I knew the problem was being the focus of their attention. Other citizens who I didn't know would go to to the news and get publicity of the out of control violations around our town city, Las Vegas.

Most of all I removed consistently for a few years until I had figured out how the most chronic violators operated. This helped me understand who they were and where they operate. I used this infomation to assist Code in stopping the most chronic violators.

Good luck, I know it can cost us alot of resources. I tried to use tactics that didn't cost me too much money or time. That was my main goal.

Pops Nevada Fourm 2005-2012

wevl

Well folks.

All's well that ends well. They dropped our case. Only cost us, well, it cost us.

Like another sign shark told me, "everyone needs an expensive hobby"

http://realloudoun.com/2012/09/06/dangerous-sign-vigilantes-go-free/

http://brleader.com/?p=9476

The moral of the story is that when one engages in vigilante type behavior they need to take steps to protect themselves from frivolous actions. If we'd had a camera and been rolling some video our situation would have never happened. Next time.

Hi: Good news! How do you think a camera would have helped your case? Just curious.

DenverShark