Brooklyn, NY – Post Signs? Expect Fines!

    45

    Brooklyn, NY – Council Member Simcha Felder launched an outreach campaign this week to raise awareness of the City’s strictly enforced ban on placing fliers or posters on telephone and utility poles and other public property. On Monday, Felder mailed hundreds of letters to community based organizations and yeshivas informing them of the details of these rules.

    Join our WhatsApp group

    Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email


    “Individuals, community based organizations and businesses need to better understand this law and the fines they face for violating it,” says Felder. “I strongly discourage anyone from posting signs on public property for any purpose, including charitable events and religious meetings.”

    Felder added that his office has received numerous calls from individuals and organizations who have received thousands of dollars in fines from the Department of Sanitation for violating this law by posting illegal signs. He noted that the Environmental Control Board is the only body with the power to reduce these fines.

    City law prohibits any person from posting, painting or affixing any type of handbill, poster, sign or sticker upon any public property including telephone and utility poles, parking meters, trees, and traffic signs. Violations carry a hefty penalty of $75 to $150 per violation for a first offense and up to $250 for repeat offenses. There is a rebuttable presumption that any person whose name, telephone number, or other identifying information appears on any sign is in violation and subject to these fines.

    Felder encouraged those with questions to call 311 or to attend one of the Community Board meetings listed below where he, along with Department of Sanitation representatives, will be present to discuss this law and respond to questions.

    Community Board 11: June 11, 7:30PM at Holy Family Home, 1740 84th St.

    Community Board 14: June 15, at 7:30PM at P.S. 249 (Caton Ave & Marlborough Rd.)

    Community Board 12: June 23, 6PM at Community Board 12 offices, 5910 13th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219

    Community Board 15: June 30, 7PM at Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Blvd. (Room U112)


    Listen to the VINnews podcast on:

    iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon

    Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates


    Connect with VINnews

    Join our WhatsApp group


    45 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    We need to be appalled at the approach that the City has been taking. Create laws that everyone will violate, then fine them and generate revenue. While everyone with brains can understand that traffic and parking laws have a purpose, many are simply arbitrary and worse than unfriendly. We have observed our NYC government relegating public safety to the back burner while enforcement of anything that results in “fines” is stepped up to astronomical levels. Watch Bloomie reduce police officers who are supposed to keep our streets safe, but a doubling of the “traffic enforcement” crew. Simcha – please do not allow yourself to get sucked into this mode of thinking. We will need to vote for you soon. This will not make many of us do that, despite our appreciation for all the many wonderful things you have done for us.

    Askupeh
    Askupeh
    14 years ago

    Why did they wake up now? This law which in my opinion is a stupid law was on the books for ages, why Davka enforce it now? I guess when the city needs money they remind themselves that there is a law out there from which they can grab more of our money.

    This law is probably a holdover from the days when an assembly of four people without a permit, was considered plotting to overthrow the government/king.

    Can anyone please explain why I should not be allowed to paste a poster on the wall of my house or my Shul?

    Askupeh
    Askupeh
    14 years ago

    I made a mistake in my previous post. I was under the assumption that posting bills anywhere in public is forbidden. Then I noticed that the law is only on public property. Still I maintain my argument that why should it bother the government that a shul announces a Melaveh Malka on a utility pole? I think that this law is Midas Sedoim; enforced only to steal our money.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    more fundraising

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    because it looks very messy and creates garbage.

    Charles Hall
    Charles Hall
    14 years ago

    Shabat is a law that was on the books for ages; why observe it now?

    Benny
    Benny
    14 years ago

    When Simche Felder ran for last election which he lost to Kevin Parker there was NOT a single lamp post or pole in Boro Park that wasnt hung with Felder signs….Simche PRACTICE what you PREACH…Being Bloomies buddy does NOT exempt you from breaking the LAW…

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    great, our neighborhoods look like grabage with all the signs they hang. this a good law to keep the quality of life.

    chusid
    chusid
    14 years ago

    I for one agree with this law. I live in Boro Park and all these sigs do is create dirt and filth. if you want to advertise do it legitamitely in a newsoaper or magazine.

    No More Felder
    No More Felder
    14 years ago

    why do we need CM Felder if he cant fight for our rights and ways we live in the community, we dont need him to help the laws, we need him to help fighting laws whats good for the community

    PMO
    PMO
    14 years ago

    The practice of hanging signs on city property is not very common in places outside of NYC. Here in FL, the laws regarding the posting of bills is enforced. The city has to pay to clean up your mess. The cost to the city of taking down 1000 signs and throwing them out is far more than the fine you pay for doing it in the first place.

    If your announcement is SO important, many private store owners will be more than happy to allow you to post signs on their buildings. Why should everyone else have to pay more for sanitation workers because of YOUR signs? Foolishness.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    There is no place outside of NYC where this law would even be questioned. Post all the schmutz you want on your own buildings but you cannot post your signs on public property. Thats what makes the city look like a slum. Now that we have cleaned up the city and subways, don’t allow things to go back the way they were with graffitti and signs. If people continue doing it they should be jailed, not just fined.

    P.S. There is an exception in the law for 60 days before an election allowing certain posters for candidates; they have 30 days AFTER the election to take them down.

    Okay with me...
    Okay with me...
    14 years ago

    I agree with # 16 & 20. These signs, even though they may be a community service, create a mess and makes our streets look disgusting.
    The answer would be to force these “sign hangers” to remove and discard (and not in the corner trash can) these signs after two days. If the sign is found on the ground or on the pole after that time, hit them with a $1,000 fine. That might work. In any case, a $250 fine is small enough to fit into the advertising budget of each event, and is not going to stop it.
    The only caveat is that political posters should be charge $10,000 per violations – they have bigger budgets. That will stop Simcha Felder (agree with #4 above) and Bloomberg from doing it themselves(well, maybe not Bloomberg – he should be fined at leat one million per violation).

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I donated a gift to a charity, and they put my logo on their sign (with about 10 other sponsors). Next thing I know, I get 170 violations written to me for hanging posters on city property. I was told that every single business on those signs got the same tickets. How is that fair?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I find it amusing that the biggest offenders are candidates running for office during election time. Just take a drive up Kings Highway towards the Eastern Parkway to see all of our illustrious candidate hopefuls flaunting this law. Do they get ticketed too?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Lets make a few things clear:

    Who ever hangs a poster/flyer on public property gets a fine no matter if its an election poster or a event poster. (I worked on a few City election campaigns and we took the risk and got fined every time, this gets calculated into the campaign budget).

    What I understood by speaking with Councilman Simcha Felder is that lots of organization were calling his office with tickets and he is trying to help each one of them and this didn’t start now, this is ongoing since he got into office. The Councilman decided now to try to make everyone aware of the risk of hanging posters. The other problem was when it rains the posters fall off and the home/business owners get tickets for litter on the sidewalk.

    My personal point of view:
    It’s ugly to walk down shabbos on the street and see all these posters on every lamp post.

    shmiel glassman
    shmiel glassman
    14 years ago

    it should not be 10 signs on a corner or none at all
    the posters serve a very good public service
    some restrictions can be put in place such as
    the org. taking the posters down within 24 hrs after the event
    limiting to 1 set of posters per corner
    maybe just avenues & not streets
    limiting the size
    why is a gray pole nicer than a color poster with a picture of a godol, or raffle…

    bp residence
    bp residence
    14 years ago

    SIMCHA!
    you are doing by yourself……

    merina
    merina
    6 years ago

    The New York City authorities are very strict to illegal posting of signs they put huge fine if they found violation , along with this they ensure the public dwellings to ensure with HPD signs , in case the owner fail to post this signs they impose huge fines and penalty to him.. so post it wisely