Nickel and Dime...and $200
- A number of neighborhood small business owners are complaining that the city is overzealously policing sign permits, saying they've had to pay thousands of dollars in fines for words painted on their shop windows.
"It just seems unfair to make you get a permit for every window panel," said Scott Toth, owner of Craft Pizza at 1252 N. Damen Ave.
Toth, who has been ticketed four times, hired a lawyer and appeared in court twice about the matter. He said he decided to remove the signs in all four windows and pay a $1,000 fine that had been reduced with the help of his attorney.
These are a physical part of the building itself - the window. Nothing is overhanging the street, nothing is blocking or affected the flow of traffic. And the City demands how much?
- A long-standing city law enforced by the Department of Buildings states that permits are required for non-illuminated painted or vinyl advertising signs or lettering that take up more than 25 percent of any single window.
The cost for each on-premise window sign is $200 per sign, plus a Department of Buildings zoning review fee that can vary from $50 to $1000 depending on the size of the sign.
Someone connected must be getting paid off:
- The city requires that a professional contractor apply the lettering or images. Violators face fines of $350 to $15,000 per day until the signs are removed
So Vanecko and Vanecko Signs?
Labels: money questions
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
54 Comments:
Rahm said he was going to make things easier for the small business man. Lying democratic party fuck.
What about in the hood. 63rd and Ashland Liquor Store has a sign in every window advertising booze. Curious to know if the city goes out there to ticket or if they just hit up businesses they know will pay. I wonder!!!
Way to go Chicago chase more business to the burbs. Thirsty ass city.
You all need to revolt and remove a bunch of alderman and a nine finger mayor. Once done you need to burn all DNC buildings and offices. Then salt the ground so they may never come to power again.
If you own a business In Shitcago the bathroom must have a "split" seat. No solid round or oval seat. $125.00 fine !!!
And they wonder why businesses are leaving in droves?
It's amusing to see several chains (Portillo's comes to mind) opening new locations just a block or so outside the city, in towns where it's a whole lot more welcoming and friendly to incoming profit/tax generating businesses.
So what if the sign is on a clear plastic suspended from the ceiling an inch or two away from the window? Inside the store...geeze.
Is this true. Barber poles, are illegal in Chicago.
Fuck this city, let it burn.
again OMG OMG
SCC, you've got it backwards. The problem the retailer is having is because someone WASN'T paid off. A sizable donation to the alderscum's reelection fund and the pizza guy could have put up a sign the size of the old Magic Kiss one on the Eisenhower from years ago, with nary a peep from any "inspector".
What a f*&king joke. Maybe Toni can piggyback and get a county tax for that too.
I plan on buying everything I can else where. I also plan on moving in retirement. Only 8 more years.
Why would anyone want to set up shop here????
Nothing like jacking up Mom & Pop.
Sleeping well at night, Rahm?
I can't recall a single case of the City of Los
Angeles going after small business signs
and dispatching Friday and Gannon to the
scene of the crime.
This is a city that would crack down on
sidewalk lemonade signs.
(you can bet those poor Paletas vendors are
printed, photographed, and licensed, in addition
to their business tax being paid up front)
wow... what's next??? taxes on the air we breath?
Leave Crook County and you can avoid the Soda Tax too.
Sidewalk signs are not allowed. Changing the sign on an awning or a wall (painting a new sign) requires a permit. Window signs cannot cover more than 25% of the window. Signs are heavily regulated.
Meanwhile on the west and south sides liquor and loosies stores are plastered with posters and other assorted ghetto paraphernalia in the windows obstructing all street view...
Want to hang a sign. FUCK YOU PAY ME! Ain't got the money FUCK YOU PAY ME! Need some help at city hall FUCK YOU PAY ME !
I'm sure this law is evenly applied in all neighborhoods of the city...ha ha ha
Hey media, why not FOIA the permits on file and match them to addresses?
I HATE Chicago! Fuck Chicago!
I can't wait to retire and move away for good!
From a born, city raised, life long resident and city employee!
DA Pelon
This is why you won't find a sign at Beatrice's.
Queen taxwinkle and rahmie the commie better pick up a history book. What we have is taxation without representation! Remember 1776!
CITY ORDINANCE JUSTIFICATION
Anonymous said...
If you own a business In Shitcago the bathroom must have a "split" seat. No solid round or oval seat. $125.00 fine !!!
8/03/2017 12:25:00 AM
That's so when the city inspector comes in to check, he doesn't bang his adams apple when he sticks his head inside to get a drink of water.
You're Welcome.
I am copper who previously had a business here in Chicago that I have now closed. When the City tried to Fine me for an American flag on th roof of the building because according to the city "it blows and waves with the wind over the public way"... On top of the already harassing inspectors i decided it was time to close. I wouldn't run a business in this city every again.
Another reason to move your business OUT of Shitcago
Many, many years ago we got dinged when we owned a small neighborhood tavern and did not have a food license. We didn't have a kitchen and all we sold was bagged chips/pretzels and such. After the fine we had to go through with a BS inspection. Inspection of WHAT?
This was after we didn't indicate on our application for a liquor license who our amusement company was going to be. (we had a mom/pop kind of guy not connected). We were called into the Commanders office and was basically told that we had to use his "guy". We refused. Our license was held up for one inspection, then another. We never could find out when we would get our Fire Inspection. We were not greasing any palms. Finally, my dad (retired CFD) mad a call to a friend and we were able to get inspected and open.
This City has been corrupt for a very long time and will never change.
Explain to me again why Chicago is supposed to be so great.
Teenage girls commit armed robberies with impunity.
Cops are fetal and the old-timers scold the young 'uns for chasing dirtbag felons.
Hey Jackass! has shootings at 2200 to date--on track for 4000 this year--and finally . . .
dickwads at the Dept. of Buildings are pencil-fucking the people who actually pay the salaries of all municipal workers.
The only good thing I can think of is Vito and Nick's Pizza at 8400 Pulaski.
Once again proving the business environment within the city limits can best be described as "hostile."
So measure the windows, then compute what 24.999999999% of that area will be, and that's your sign space. Unless the Ordinance defined a "professional contractor" as a corporation, partnership, etc. they can fuck off.
Hire your semi-retarded, half-baked art student cousin to paint the window for $20.
Tell the City to fuck off... or just relocate outside of the Shitty and Crook County.
Anonymous said...
What a f*&king joke. Maybe Toni can piggyback and get a county tax for that too.
8/03/2017 01:07:00 AM
She and her minions are too busy developing the toilet paper tax.
Does that include the glass doors with: office of the mayor, city clerk, streets and sans, etcetera? Fuck this city.
Econ 101 is not a requirement in the DNC. And it shows.
I have a family friend who owns a building and a commercial store front near armitage and cicero. His store front was empty for 9 months. Finally a person was interested in opening up a hair beauty salon. They signed up all the paper work and went to downtown get their store license. City hall denied their application. They said within 500 feet someone else is operating a beauty salon and they need to see the zoning board. So they visit the zoning board and they tell her she needs to collect 1000 signatures from people who live in that neighborhood and then they need to hire an attorney who can file an appeal. The appeal officer then will assign them a hearing date and they need to come on the hearing date and they will get their license approved.
He did not contribute to the alderman's coffers. Alderman Ray Suarez was notorious for this sort of shit. You had to go to his autumn banquet. The cost was $100 per person. He expexcted each business to buy anywhere from 5 to 50 tickets. Based on the size of his business. If you didn't pay then you just paid twice as much when the city inspector would hit you up with all sorts of obscure and subjective violations. This is Chicago and this is The Chicago Way.
Anonymous said...
SCC, you've got it backwards. The problem the retailer is having is because someone WASN'T paid off. A sizable donation to the alderscum's reelection fund and the pizza guy could have put up a sign the size of the old Magic Kiss one on the Eisenhower from years ago, with nary a peep from any "inspector".
8/03/2017 12:50:00 AM
City inspectors will not target businesses unless they have the permission of the local alderman. This is a very old privilege given to the aldermen. Pay(donate) or suffer the penalties. The alderman could kill the citations if he so desired. Isn't this the same alderman that squeezed double door tavern? Maybe one day the feds will knock on his door.
No wonder there are so many vacant storefronts.
Real estate developers want the land so drive the middle class them out.
Then build luxury condos with Section 8 mixed income housings and malls.
Destroy the middle class neighborhoods and move on.
chitroit within the next 20 years
get rid of all DemoncratRats
Can the feds look into racist promotions
you have many qualified men , women of all races that pass the promotional exams , get promoted but only the triple merit make command staff
Chicago is a joke. All the businesses should leave.
Crook County,Il can go suck ;;;Toni Stroger wants The Illinois retailers to pay back her the $20 million lost for soda tax delay ..LOl
Hey stroger prickwinkle !!.. shopped in Indiana today for church picnic;; 10 watermelons for a $1.50 each ..corn 5 cents a ear each .. no soda tax, lower beer tax , gas ..no city ,county tax , cigarettes $5.00 a pack cheaper, lower sales tax than in cook County.. Even stopped at the Horseshoe .. much more pleasant atmosphere than Illinois gaming
Total savings .......from shopping Indiana vs crap Cook county.. $ 133.00
Boycott the crook Illinois Cook County Chicago Dimms
I feel little pitty for the business owners. Of course it's BS, but anyone dealing with the city of Chiraq knows they are dealing with organized crime. So, pay the protection money or do business elsewhere.
Well their goes the Christmas scenes painted on the window for Christmas.
Thou shall not steal.
and now we know why the democrats hate the bible.
I like when the Cubs said not only do we have to fight the other teams we have to fight the city.
Shakedown didn't work, so send in the building inspectors, revenue agents and Fire Marshall Bill.
They did similar thing to Fontano's (012) about ten years ago - City said his frontfront awnings where to far away from the building, even though the awnings were put up some 20 years prior. Owner thought it was a joke and laughed, City came back everyday with a $100 fine for a week.
Sure it was a City inspector and not Bubblehead?
Can't you read the sign
And another 1.6 billion investment in the USA thanks to Trump again 4,000+ good jobs but of course not in corrupt city-state-county here:
http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2017/08/03/toyota-mazda-us-plant/538744001/
Anonymous said...
I have a family friend who owns a building and a commercial store front near armitage and cicero. His store front was empty for 9 months. Finally a person was interested in opening up a hair beauty salon. They signed up all the paper work and went to downtown get their store license. City hall denied their application. They said within 500 feet someone else is operating a beauty salon and they need to see the zoning board. So they visit the zoning board and they tell her she needs to collect 1000 signatures from people who live in that neighborhood and then they need to hire an attorney who can file an appeal. The appeal officer then will assign them a hearing date and they need to come on the hearing date and they will get their license approved.
8/03/2017 11:53:00 AM
...at which time, the potential beauty shop owner decides to start her business out in some suburb and that suburb gets the fees & the tax revenue and the beauty shop patrons go to the suburban neighborhood for lunch after their hair is done and drop some more money outside of the city.
Soon, this city will be a ghost town.
Take your business out of this shithole. They want the welfare rats, not the taxpaying businessman.
Fuck you rahm.
There is NO WAY I would open a business in Chicago!
I don't blame Portillo's opening their delicious restaurant in Harwood Heights, IL. rather than East of Harlem Ave. in Chicago!
No bag tax in Harwood Heights, either!
Oh by the way, Fuck You Rahm!
Anonymous said...
Leave Crook County and you can avoid the Soda Tax too.
8/03/2017 04:57:00 AM
Better to leave the state. A good portion of people bitching today will turn around and vote against Rauner when he's up for re-election. That fat ass Pritzger will probably make Illinois a sanctuary state and enact a soda tax statewide.
Another lawsuit waiting to happen. Come on, it's inside your property, Seriously?
No charge to put political campaign sign in store windows
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