Estate agent boards - flyposting?

happygirllucky

Hi all,

Does anyone else have this problem? Westminister Property Services (local estate agent) keep putting for sale/to rent boards up in our street (and nearby streets). They put them up outside every other house (including mine) when I know the properties aren't on the market/available for renting. I know it seems like a minor problem (and in the grand scale of things it is!), but they put them up every couple of weeks and it's annoying (and hard work!) haven't to get the nails out/saw through the metal attaching them to our gate post. What can I do?

Thanks in advance for help - much appreciated!

WestonDave

Do you own your property? If so I'd be tempted to take the next one back to the estate agents and suggest that if any more get nailed to your gate post you'll be nailing it to the backside of the manager! (Spoken in a jovial but assertive tone rather than abusive or threatening!)

googler

Nail one to the front of the agent's office.

happygirllucky

Ha! Actually, my plan is to sling them through the estate agent's door every Saturday morning for the forseeable future ... Have no problem doing that - it's just getting the damn things off the post in the first place!

googler

Someone must be around when the sign guy calls..... if they appear on a certain day every fortnight, could you take a day off and catch him in the act?

propertyman

googler wrote: »

Nail one to the front of the agent's office.

"Going out of business Sale" perhaps : D

Report them to the local authority or if the are members of any body complain to them.

But don't return them, they will just reuse them!
But if you can gather a lot, then leave them on their office floor.

dodger1

Put up your own sign next to theirs stating "This property is not for sale, the adjacent sign is erected every couple of weeks without permission on mine and other properties in this locale. This should tell all prospective buyers/renters all they need to know about this dishonest Estate Agent".

richardw

Take photo of their board outside your house, photo must clearly show their name and the number of your house.
Print photo off and then attach to an invoice for your rental charge and then send to estate agents company secretary at their registered address, send by signed for post.
Invoice should say the charges form part of an agreement if not challenged within 28 calendar days.

jc808

Id be billing them for damage caused by nails, rawl plugs etc

princeofpounds

Collect photo evidence and statements from your neighbours. Report them to Trading standards. TS occasionally crack down on EA boards, usually when a critical mass of complaints occur.

EAs are only allowed to use boards for genuine advertising and 14 days after transactions are completed.

I would also remove the signs. Don't dispose of them as they are not your property, but you can dump them in the office of the LA during working hours, along with a bill for making good the damage to brickwork (and if you wish to go so far you can issue a letter before action that a number of you will take them to small claims court).

Or some 'local teenagers' could just make the signs disappear, but they wouldn't want to get caught doing that.

poppysarah

Report them to TS.