HOUSTON – Some families in Houston's inner-Loop neighborhoods are unhappy about their neighbors putting up signs to stop people from parking in front of their homes.
"We will get residents who get creative," said Alvin Wright, Public Works spokesman, of people who nail "no parking" signs to telephone poles, fences or other fixtures with the attempt to stop people from parking on city streets.
Residents who posted in online neighborhood forums about their frustrations did not want to speak to Local 2, but other residents said they had seen no parking signs that the city didn't put up.
"It's limited parking in the neighborhood from the street. People who have expensive homes don't want people parking in front of their houses," Rufus Estis, a Heights resident, said.
Roofer Dan Beeman said sometimes residents do it to stop construction workers from parking near their homes.
"Usually around construction zones, I've seen it," Beeman said.
"They don't want people pulling into their yard space if they have the ditches covered. Sometimes they have a space for parking but it's grass, so if it rains or they've watered you have ruts," Brenda Estis, another Heights resident, said.
Real city of Houston signs have a city sticker on the back of them.
The Public Works department takes down fake signs when it is alerted about them. Citizens can call 311 to report signs, which are illegal.
If a customer wants traffic engineers to see if signs should be put in a neighborhood, they can also contact 311.
Catching people who put up illegal signs is nearly impossible.
"The signs go up but there is no indication who put the signs up," Wright said.