GENTRY — Police will soon be picking up garage and yard sale signs and returning them to their owners with a ticket, according to Gentry Police Chief Keith Smith.
According to existing city ordinance, signs for garage and yard sales may not be posted more than four days in advance of a garage sale and must be removed within two days after the close of the sale. State law also prohibits signs from being posted along state highways or affixed to road signs or utility poles, Smith said.
The temporary signs are permitted on private property with the permission of the property owner and must be removed within the prescribed time limits.
With the number of complaints about abandoned signs announcing garage and yard sales littering the city, the police will begin enforcing the city’s sign ordinance and the state’s littering ordinance, which could result in court appearances and hefty fines for violators.
Gentry residents wishing to have garage sales are required to obtain a permit — free of charge — from the city office and display the permit at their sale.
Garage sales may be no longer than four days in duration and may not be held on the same premises more than four times in any one year period, according to the city’s garage sale permit form.