The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-02-12
RULES AFFECTING
USE OF HIGHWAY
RIGHTS OF WAY
Chairman Gives Timely
Warning Respecting Signs
And Building Encroach-
ment

Raleigh, N. c. - The State
Highway Commission recently
served notice on sign posters, and
all other persons who own, put
up or control roadside advertis-
ing signs on the highway right of
way. In a resolution adopted at
the January 18th meeting of the
Commission, any adjacent land
owner who allows or permits an
advertising sign to be erected on
the highway right of way is now
just as responsible as the firm
or person who erects the sign.
The Commission stressed it
plans to chase all signs, build
ings, and other unauthorized in
truders off its right of way.
Under the new ruling, the owner
of a roadside business can be
prosecuted when an advertising
sign is placed outside his place
on highway property, even
though he may claim he doesn't
own the sign.
Formerly, only the advertising
firm or the sign board company
which owned and erected the
sign was guilty. The Commission
already has laws under which
owners of offending signs, gas
pumps and the like can be pros
ecuted for trespassing on its
right of way.
Before the recent ruling MAX
ing the landowner jointly res
ponsible was made, the penalty
was limited to $40. Now, that
may run as high as the judge
thinks wise. Separate penalties
may be imposed for each day the
sign is allowed to stand after it
is ordered removed.
Also, the Commission said
many a Tar Heel has found him
self in a hopeless situation be-
cause he neglected to buy or
build on the kind of road he
wants.
Many people have bought low
cost homes in poorly engineered
housing developments. They are
told that arrangements have been
made for keeping up the streets.
Only later, do the new home
owners learn that the streets are
nobody's responsibility. When
they come to the nearest high
way office with requests that
their streets or roads be added
to the highway system, all too
often their requests have to be
denied. Why? Usually, because
the streets are not built to State
Highway Commission standards
or because at least so feet has not
wished to, because the right of
way Often the Commission can't
take over the streets, even if they
wished to, because the roght of
way may be half the width the
Commission requires.
Lest other Tar Heels stumble
into a similar predicament, the
Commission urged prospective
home-owners to remember:
l. Don't buy a lot or house off
a paved city street or off a paved
State road unless you know for
sure that the road you get will
be all you want.
2. Don't buy or build in a SUBJ
division until you know for fact
that definite arrangements have
been made for maintaining the
roads and streets.
8. Don't assume when you
build that the Highway Com
mission will take over the upkeep
of the road past your new pro-
perty. The Commission has so
many such requests that many
must be declined or at least de-
layed.
4. If you locate on a dirt road
maintained by the State, don't
assume the Highway Commission
will pave it. Try to locate on a
road that already is paved.
5. If you do locate in sub
development outside city limits,
be sure the streets are to State
Highway Commission standards
and that at least so feet has been
set aside for road and street