Business owner charged after Detroit removes hundreds of illegally-placed signs
(CBS DETROIT) - After 18 months of ignored warnings, the city of Detroit announced criminal charges have been filed against the top five violators of illegal sign ordinances.
Officials identified the worst offender as William Shaw IV, owner of Shaw's Plumbing. They say members of the city's Blight to Beauty team have pulled down more than 615 Shaw's Plumbing signs that were illegally placed on every corner of the city.
Officials say Shaw received multiple warnings via phone, text, and cease-and-desist letters, but that he ignored all of them.
Shaw is facing $30,000 in fines and 90 days in jail.
"There were, literally, hundreds and hundreds of signs that were posted by this business. Each one is a violation," said Doug Baker of the City of Detroit Law Department. "This is illegal behavior. There was a purpose for it. It's an eyesore; it's blight; it's litter."
The program, which was a result of neighborhood complaints, has been ongoing since 2022. Since then, teams have removed more than 16,000 illegal signs from city-owned berms and utility poles.
