Trump Sign Booby Trapped with Razor Blades Slashed City Employee's Hand, Requiring Stitches (pay, jobs)

[MPowering1]

Originally Posted by LordSquidworth

Ignorance of the rules isn’t a valid defense.

Booby trap them, but be prepared for the liability. The homeowner will now be sued by the city. The homeowner won’t be able to use them taking the signs as a defense as the sign shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

Sued for skunk spray? If the judge didn't dismiss the case for wasting the courts time, I'm sure the damages would be minimal.

[BentBow]

Originally Posted by Chuckity

So the government can just come on your property and take things without notice?

Know the law. at the street side of your property is "Public Easement.
In this case as stated it is 33' from the centerline of the roadway.
You have to pay for & maintain that property, but it really belongs to the public for public use.
Just as all the other sides of your property has a utility easement and you cannot build right up to property/fence lines.

There is a sidewalk along all public roadways, even if no "concrete" pad walkway exists.

Here in Austin, 10ft from the street edge and 5 feet at the property line.

Unless the city worker has a body cam or video documenting the location and distance, he does not have a leg to stand on, even if it were in the easement. He may be facing theft charges if he didn't document the signs location exactly with video evidence.

OSHA will be all over the city for not practicing safety procedures and gloving up.

[crone]

Originally Posted by katygirl68

33 ft from the center of the road is quite a huge chunk of someone’s front yard. There is no way the city has an easement that large. It’s just some obscure regulation that is likely never enforced.

When I took the bandit sign removal class at the HCSO, we were told the easement could pretty much be between the utility poles. Any sign in Harris county could be removed if it was between those 2 poles.

If in the state where this sign was removed, they run water and sewer lines in the front, could be. When we were in Missouri, water lines were on one side, the sewer on the opposite side. If a leak happen, one could not contaminate the other. Add in if the electric, cable and phone are in the front, it is probable.

[ClaraC]

Originally Posted by redwood66

For control of aesthetics and what they would consider blight, and to collect fees to permit signs they approve. What does wind have to do with it?


ETA - their code applies to every road in their jurisdiction.

Not wind.

Windy. As in lots of turns and curves.

[crone]

Originally Posted by Travelassie

But do you remove such signs from private property? As in, people's yards?

On private property, no. I never took any sign from a yard. The signs we picked up permeate Houston. People selling their services just put up hand lettered signs all over the place. There are even businesses that make signs to look home made and place them.

We could on an easement, which by ordinance this sign was. Just because you can doesn't mean you should , but I'm not a county employee.

All any of us can do is speculate and share our ignorance. I haven't a clue about her town, or her yard. It could be on a hill or a steep S curve.

[FinsterRufus]

Originally Posted by AnesthesiaMD

That is not the way easements work. Technically, you own the entire lot, that you paid for and continue to pay property taxes on. The easement cedes control of your property to the town, but it is still your property.

Since it is an easement, they have the right to place a sidewalk on it, but since it is YOUR property, you have a responsibility to shovel the snow off of that sidewalk. And YOU are liable if you don't and someone slips and falls on that sidewalk. The town is not liable, YOU are.

Following that logic, YOU would also be liable if someone hurts themselves touching your booby trapped sign.

[AnesthesiaMD]

Originally Posted by FinsterRufus

Following that logic, YOU would also be liable if someone hurts themselves touching your booby trapped sign.

True, you would. I never said otherwise.

I dont condone the razor blades. I also dont condone the theft.

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by aquietpath

Well, you're denouncing the razor blades on the sign, aren't you? And stuff the "Duh"....how old are you, anyway?

The difference being this thread is about the razor blades. Duh.

I'm 45.

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by Corrie22

so just ignore the fact....if the left hadn't been stealing signs in the first place...this never would have happened

Sadly, folks on both sides are stealing yard signs. It's pathetic and stupid, but here we are.

Also, the guy injured wasn't stealing signs. Also, I'm betting setting "booby traps" is illegal. Also, pretty sure I learned that two wrongs don't make a right at a very, very young age.

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by Corrie22

..if he takes the sign he's a thief

if he walks to the door...hands them the sign...and explains the rules...he's a city employee

You don't get to make the rules. Sorry.