mrfootball Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Group targets Royce Builder bandit signs By: Brandon De Hoyos, Staff Writer08/23/2006Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendlyContinuing to reach for his goal of a bandit sign-free FM 1960, community advocate Larry Lipton took aim at Royce Homes CEO John Speer last week calling for Texas A&M to revoke an award Speer received in 2004 for his business practices and his service to the Mays Business School in College Station. On Dec. 6, 2005, Lipton filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Houston regarding Royce Homes use of bandit signs. Following up six days later, Speer responded to Lipton's complaint, saying "It is the policy of Royce Homes to avoid illegal placement of 'bandit signs'. The Company will continue to provide education to its personnel on the issue."Since his response, Lipton says he and a team of Alliance volunteers have continued to photograph Royce Homes signs, documenting the company's illegal placement of bandit signs in the public right of way.In an interview with the Sun, Speer admitted the possibility the signs could have been placed illegally by the company's employees, but that Royce Homes was firm in its instructions to place signs on private property. "...When they are out in the middle of the night putting signs out and there came a giant rain, and they don't want to jump across the ditch to put it across in the private land, they get lazy. It doesn't make it right," Speer said. "We say, listen guys, you have a warning here...this stuff is illegal, and if you get fined, you're paying it."Speer said to limit visual clutter, the company has made it a policy to place signs on Friday nights and remove them by Sunday, a move that doesn't always happen."In our situation, we try to control it, including those put out on private land," Speer said. "They are not out normally during the week. Sometimes, close to a community, we try to keep more out closer and closer to a community, but the instructions are they are supposed to be on private land." Lipton said regardless of when or where the signs are placed, they are likely still illegal. "Putting the signs out on Friday and picking them up on Sunday does not in any way make it legal," Lipton said. "Mr. Speer thinks that the signs that he puts on private land are ok. Bandit signs that are not on his business premises are still not legal."In reaction to Lipton's movement to stop the bandit signs, in addition to discussion of having his award revoked by the Mays Business School, Speer said his long history of service to the community should speak to what kind of businessman he is."If you look at our community service across the town, for charities everywhere, for the police department, for the kidney foundation, the Susan B. Komen deal, the scholarships we give away...it would be silly to [break the law]," Speer said. "I don't think Larry wants to compare what he does with what I do."Speer also pointed the finger at Lipton and volunteers, saying the Alliance is committing a crime when they vandalize Royce signs."These guys come out, go onto private land, and they take our signs up and destroy them, which is vandalism," Speer said. "When you take someone's private property and vandalize it, that's wrong."The CEO also questioned the agendas of both Lipton and Alliance volunteers, including that of Ricky Hurt, who Speer said was a "high profile gay activist.""I am not sure if I would be wanting to sign up with Rainbow the Clown. That guy has his own agenda with bandit signs," Speer said. "I am not sure I would want my kids around that kind of guy."Responding to Speer, Hurt said he was not intimidated by Royce's CEO. "I just feel sorry for him going to the lowest route," Hurt said. "It doesn't excuse him to break the laws in regards to the bandit sign TXDOT laws and the City of Houston ordinances." While the Mays Business School at Texas A&M declined an interview, the school did make a statement available stating Speer is "a valued former student...whose contributions at Mays support students and faculty alike as the school seeks to build unique learning experiences..." In 2004, Speer was honored as a Mays Business School Outstanding Alumnus for efforts at Mays and in the community through Royce Homes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Charming man. Egads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrfootball Posted August 28, 2006 Author Share Posted August 28, 2006 (edited) And to think, this guy is receiving accolades from Texas A&M...Seems like he may need to go back and brush up on media relations 101.I can't stand these ____ing bandit signs. I'm going to start reporting all of my local offenders to the BBB, starting tomorrow. It's basically road SPAM. I've seen enough. Edited August 28, 2006 by mrfootball Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CE_ugh Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 And to think, this guy is receiving accolades from Texas A&M...Are you honestly surprised Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 I can't stand these ____ing bandit signs. I'm going to start reporting all of my local offenders to the BBB, starting tomorrow. It's basically road SPAM. I've seen enough.Report it to the city. we were successful in getting the signs removed. they have employees who just go around and collect these signs. when complaints are received on specific homebuilders, they have been known to threaten to send the builder an invoice for removing signs on public right of ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 I think they look like crap too! How are they effective in any way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrfootball Posted August 28, 2006 Author Share Posted August 28, 2006 Report it to the city. we were successful in getting the signs removed. they have employees who just go around and collect these signs. when complaints are received on specific homebuilders, they have been known to threaten to send the builder an invoice for removing signs on public right of ways.Who do we report it to if we live in the County (outside the city limits)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrfootball Posted August 28, 2006 Author Share Posted August 28, 2006 Interesting. I found a forum dedicated to people in Texas who are fighting the Street Spammers. http://www.causs.org/dc/dcboard.php?az=sho...m=52&page=1Evidently, the Bandits are breaking several laws: Texas Transportation Code, the Texas Administration Code and the Houston Sign Code (applies to Extraterritorial Jurisdiction) and could be fined if we go after them.It's time to fight back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 It's time to fight back.Be careful. Mr. Speer might call you a homo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 (edited) Who do we report it to if we live in the County (outside the city limits)?Maybe you should contact the county commissioner of your area. They will definitely be able to lead you in the right direction if a solution exists on the county side. Please report back if you find out anything cause I can imagine there are many in your situation because of the building boom on the outskirts of Houston. Edited August 29, 2006 by musicman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 (edited) profile of John Speer, a man commiting career suicide at the helm of Royce Homes Edited August 29, 2006 by pineda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 BTW, John Speer, it's "Susan G. Komen", not "the Susan B. Komen deal"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 is there a link to the original article of this thread? and "susan b. komen deal" - :closedeyes: that's more Shonna Speer's territory, i guess: Shonna Speer has been a driving force in the success of the Royce Family of Builders for the past 8 years. She began her career at age 19, when she started with the company in the accounting department. Shonna has been instrumental in developing and implementing numerous company programs including Royce's Charitable Donations Initiative and HomeStar, the nationally recognized customer service program which was the first of its kind in the homebuilding industry. maybe he could take a few pointers from her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 (edited) link to article about John Speer of Royce HomesI wonder if John Speer or Royce Homes gets permission from these "private property" owners to put up tacky signs and/or if they pay these private property owners for that. Out here, there's an old farmer who kept finding tacky builder signs on his property early Saturday mornings. He made it his mission to go out there at sunrise and take them all down. Once when he showed up to remove the signs, he found a group of young men that tried to threaten him with supposed bodily harm or legal action from the builder. The old farmer just laughed and told the young men to have the builder call his home number. The builder and the old farmer came to an agreement that the builder could put up his tacky signs FOR A WEEKLY FEE. Maybe if Royce Homes had to pay a little something for that privilege of sticking up a bunch of their tacky builder signs all over someone's private property, they'd think twice about their visual blight upon a community.link to 1960 Area Alliance group and more on Larry Lipton Edited August 29, 2006 by pineda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Be careful. Mr. Speer might call you a homo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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