apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Yes, this is an old scam, but apparently it's still effective. I remember it from when I lived in Chicago--must've been 20 years ago. I recall the people saying it had to do with the fire department or 911 or something--that if you wanted help in an emergency, you had to have these "official" numbers painted on your curb. Of course the guys selling the service were creepy, so that was a big red flag and I didn't bite.

That never happened to me personally, but when I was living with a friend for a couple of weeks, her neighbor would always come over and one day it was mentioned that these guys would come by, paint numbers, and then ask for money... but it was a HELLLLLLLL of a lot more than just $15... but yes, she also had the wrong numbers painted on... what a buncha jerks.

This has happened to us a few times (we're in LA). The last time they came around to collect the money my husband told the guy they were nothing more than a shakedown operation. The guy became really flustered and just walked away.

It's not necessarily a scam. The city of Los Angeles has a process by which individuals may obtain a permit to paint curb numbers. In general, it's people trying to make money by working which I don't see as a bad thing. I've had my curb number painted (correctly) in several different neighborhoods in Los Angeles, with no problem at all. If you're not home when they come by to collect, you don't pay. Really nothing worth getting all worked up over.
FYI: http://bsspermits.lacity.org/curbpainting/

i remember the same neighborhood elderly man that would come by every year or two to refresh or repaint our existing house numbers on our curb. he would knock, ask if we were interested and he made $5-10 for his effort. never had to deal with the paint and bill situation, so we regarded it as an honest effort on the part of some neighborhood folks to make a little extra cash.

harmless.

I think it's nice to have someone offer to paint your numbers.

I mean if they don't -- would you? Really?
$15 isn't an exorbitant amount for the ambulance or vietnamese food guy to find your house easier.

I must say though the painting first prior to any arrangement does leave something to be desired.

Otherwise, lighten up. Fresh paint is nice.

it was featured on an episode of the simpsons

I, too, am originally from So. Cal. In my area legitimate groups (school bands trying to raise funds to go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, for instance) would do a whole neighborhood, then canvass for donations.

Horrible! Anyone who could take money from the elderly should be punished somehow. Wish you could force someone to work for that $15. Next doors kid is trying to get some funds up to buy himself a football jersey and he's charging $15 to mow and rake peoples lawns and trim the edges! Spray painting a curb is worth what $1? :P

aneelee - yeah that sounds ok, the curb numbers do make life easier when you are trying to find houses at night...

in my neighborhood they leave a note and ask you to leave the note and check on a future date, THEN they paint your number. they're even smart enough to ask what numbers you want painted. I did the first year I bought my house because I hadn't yet purchased house numbers. now I just toss the flyers.

There's a big difference between people asking for work and people coercing for work. If someone does something unasked and then says it's my responsibility to pay them, they get nothing.

nope.. because i live in an..... apartment! (therapy.com?)

I'm not sure I agree with "Seriously?"

I do feel that some of the people who paint these numbers are coercive and manipulative. In my neighborhood they put a flier on your day stating that if you don't want the numbers painted you have to tell them.

That's not an acceptable business practice. The onus shouldn't be on the resident to decline a service they never asked for in the first place.

I wouldn't mind if it was a permission first, but this has happened to us as well. They come demanding money, rather than asking if you wanted it done. We've had to chase away people who are expecting money. Didn't ask for it, don't need it, won't pay.
Also, 15 bucks for something that could be done for free? Even if it was a group raising money, I'm not giving that unless I am personally invested in the group.

Anyone still get those damn kids who sell news paper subscriptions or candy marked up a million per cent? Those are even worse because most of those kids are being exploited by adults who make them work for very little money.

That's the most ridiculous scam I have ever heard!
The city "selling" a service? Whaaat?
Wouldn't you automatically think that you *shouldn't* have to directly pay -cash!- for a city service????
True, Canada is a little more socialistic, but really...?!
$15 fee door-to-door for a city job?! Unheard of.

Here in SF, some people would paint the curbs in front of their apartments/homes red so that other drivers would think that it was a Red Zone and they couldn't park there...
...but the city hadn't so they wouldn't ticket and the owner of the house had effectively created their own private street parking (until the city caught onto the scam)

This happened in my neighborhood about four months ago. I received the flyer saying it was very important to have a fluorescent strip painted at the curb. That this is a safety issue and the city urges you to do so. Only one person has this UGLY yellowish green strip.

The legitimate fundraising organizations will get permits via the city. In fact, last month, an organization left notice on everyone's door stating that they would be painting house numbers on the curb and for those that did not want the service, to simply tape the notice on your curb to let the painters know which curbs not to paint. Easy enough to indicate "yeah" or "nay."

The one group I will say is very off putting are the magazine crews. I have had more than one negative incident and no longer answer my door unless it is someone I know or a delivery man in an indentifiable uniform and vehicle.

This is a classic scam that has been happening for years. The best thing you can do is to spray them with a hose until they leave your yard and then ask them to compensate you for the water you used to cool them off. Follow them down the street and tell everyone they try and rip off that it's a scam. This guarantees they won't be back next year. It sounds harsh, but these are the kinds of people who start with something small and take as much as they can get.

it's not your curb anyhow...it's the city's. this is legit sometimes though, the place i used to live did want the whole downtown area painted for emergency stuff and safety... although they had volunteers do it, my brother earned his eagle scout doing this.

is this still happening? i remember someone painting numbers on our curb about 40 years ago in the bay area. it isn't the money being requested that is outrageous, it is the act of doing something without permission, and then asking for payment. if i remember correctly, my mother told the man that she hadn't asked for the numbers to be painted and he was at liberty to paint over them and obscure the address.

In light of all the above, remember that in most cases, the curb in front of your house is not yours, but belongs to the city. If you don't want to pay for a house number you didn't ask for----don't pay.

in all honesty i remember someone doing that when i was little and i asked my mom why the numbers had been painted and she said someone randomly did it

That happened to us too, except we got a notice on the door that they'd be back the next day to paint and if you wanted your # done, leave the note with the check taped to your door. Our neighbors across the street did it. So now, when people drive over late at night we say "We're across the street from #38"... our own door numbers are not too clear...

I remember people doing this in Atlanta when I was a kid

This was done in the neighborhood where I used to live, on the East Coast, but we knew it was legit because, about a week before painting, the county sent a letter telling us it was happening for 911 purposes and to please not park on the street that day.

I'm with springisnear: if they claim to be from "the city," then that is who pays them. With an official City of Whatever check.

A man came to my apartment door saying that the residents are getting the LA Times for free and all they ask is that we tip the paper boy 50 cents/week. When I asked how I would get the tip money to the boy, he said, "well it comes to $26 per year and you can give it to me now..."

This is a popular scam in my SVF neighborhood. It happens at least 4-5 times every year! I'm terribly cynical, so I saw it for what it was right away. Many of my neighbors, however, feel obligated to pay.
Another scam in my neighborhood involves home security system "salesmen". Usually, they're young guys in tennis shirts that have a company name embroidered on it. They're very aggressive, fast-talking and ask many pointed questions about your home's current security system status, whether or not you have a dog, etc in the guise of a sales pitch. In other words, they are gathering very detailed and reliable information about which houses are best to easily break into.
Not suprisingly, 8 homes were broken into about a week after a group of these fellows made the rounds.

Presumably if a person wanted these numbers they'd do it themselves and choose their own type face. I can see this could be open to abuse. Something similar happened to an elderly relative of mine (in London) and he was robbed of cash and some other items.

This would never fly in NYC for 2 reasons:

1) Nobody would want it or care or pay
2) There is never a visible bit of curb anywhere because of street parking

No one has a right to do something without permission and then demand payment. If they are from the city, then taxes pay for it. If the curb is the cities property, then taxes pay for it. If you give these scammers money, it only encourages them to continue.

Know your rights.

When these clowns come to collect be real friendly. Take s picture of them and the license plate of their vehicle. Tell them, one you didn't request this service and that they need to get permission first for something they are charging you for.

Call the attorney general office in your state and file a file a complaint. Even if it is a city service you need to be given an option since you did not request it and most probably the city did not fore warn you of this additional expense. If the city doesn't respond to your satisfaction threaten the highest elected official with exposing the scam and working to get the bum out of office.

We have the same thing in our neighborhood. They ask for a for a donation of $5. They have never forced it or mislead that they were from the city. If you only have $3 they will take that too. If you don't want to pay, they just say thanks and leave.

I've only had booster club kids do it to raise money for uniforms and stuff. I think everyone kind of liked it where I'm from. Then again, the kids asked first.

I would pay the neighboor kid $5 to do this, but trying to milk me for it after the fact.... get off my stoop before i call the cops.

I've actually had visits from the fake security guys, one even asked for a glass of water. I told them my (imaginary) baby was asleep and if they waited on the stoop i'd bring them a glass. When I came right back to the door the guy was RUNNING to his car. Probably figured i'd called the cops on him. Idiots.

This isn't really a scam, at least not in our area. I've had people leave the note to do this on my house, then you tell them you want it, they paint it, and you leave them the money. I did it the first year I moved into a new house (for $10 or $15 I think) and then ignored the notes in the subsequent years that they came by. They did it correctly and professionally, I might add. And it is helpful for emergency vehicles or even people just trying to find your house!

Everyone is so suspicious these days, I admire someone trying to make a little money by offering a legitimate service.

I've only ever seen kids do it. But they ask first and ask for maybe $5, tops.

doesnt happen in Canada. model after us.