BIRMINGHAM, AL — It would be difficult to drive through Birmingham without seeing one – if not multiple – signs hung on power poles, street posts and traffic posts advertising local businesses. Everything from lawn services and house cleaning to real estate services and credit repair can be found advertised on Birmingham’s roadways. But many of these signs are placed illegally and have drawn complaints by citizens for being eyesores along the city’s streets.
Anyone traveling Birmingham’s roadways have likely seen “We buy Houses,” or “Cash 4 Homes” and similar homemade signs, known as “bandit signs,” in multiple spots. For years, these businesses have used this type of advertising.
Birmingham City Council member Darrell O’Quin, who represents Disctrict 5, has had enough of it. O’Quinn contacted one of these businesses, “Ken Buys Houses,” letting them know that the signs were placed illegally. But O’Quinn did not stop there.
In a video posted to social media Friday, O’Quinn is seen taking down the signs himself as he leaves a voice message with the business.
“Illegal signage has long been a frequent complaint heard from every corner of the City of Birmingham,” O’Quinn said. Prior to being elected to the City Council, I frequently dealt with this issue as a neighborhood association officer.”
O’Quinn said he has made it a habit to occasionally patrol his neighborhood to remove illegal signage. “Pro Tip: A garden/hard rake is very handy for removing illegally placed signs nailed high on utility poles,” he said.
“I’ve heard residents refer to these signs as ‘trash on a stick.’ In any case, I found that by consistently removing them, fewer signs were put up. In other words, removing them is an effective way to discourage new signs from being put up,” he said.
Lately, O’Quinn said he has noticed a proliferation of “Ken Buys Houses” and other similar signs on his daily commute to City Hall. So O’Quinn decided to remove them himself while also using the Council’s communications outreach to encourage others to do the same.
“Some folks may not realize that the signs are illegal or that they can simply take them down,” O’Quinn said. “The intent of posting a video to social media is to empower other folks to do likewise. If folks across the City could take charge of even just a small area around where they live or work, then we could collectively eliminate this problem.”
O’Quinn reached out to “Ken” and said the signs are available for pick-up. “If ‘Ken’ calls me back, I’ll return them to him. Otherwise, I plan to recycle them,” he said. “I’ve found that the corrugated plastic signs make an excellent building material for small projects. I’ve used them at home to shingle the roof of my chicken coop. I intend to do a little research for project plans — birdhouses and such — that I can post as a follow up to the video posted today.”
Patch efforts to reach the Ken Buys Houses, owned by Kenshea Mahand, have been unsuccessful.