Painting House Addresses on Curbs

**msamslex** · June-19-13, 09:49 PM

The other week a note was taped to the front doors of the houses on my street regarding painting the house address on the curbs.

The note read as follows:

*****Curb Service*****

Your house address will be painted on your curb tomorrow. This service will aid police, fireman and all emergancy services to locate your home in case of an emergency.
These house numbers will be painted with scothite [[not sure how this was supposed to be spelled) reflective paint that reflects brightly at night and the house numbers are 5 guaranteed to last for up to years.

There is a $20.00 for this service. If you would like to be included in this effort, simply fill out the spaces provided below and place the flyer back on your door tomorrow. You are not obligated to pay for this service until the painting is complete and you are completely satisfied.

NAME_____
ADDRESS_________
PHONE____________

Cash, check or money order accepted. If paying by check or money order, make the check or money order payable to Wayne County Neighborhood Watch.

___[[check box) please paint my address on my garbage can for no additional charge.

If you are not home when we come to collect. we will leave an envelope on your door for payment. Thank you. Wayne County Neighborhood Watch. There was a cell phone number on the flyer.

Spelling and grammar errors are not mine. I just typed it out as it was written. I noticed there were only one house on my block that had it done and one on the other block. I live in Aviation so some streets only have a couple blocks in Detroit, the rest of the street runs into Dearborn. I'm not handing money over to just anybody I don't know. Seems like somebody just used Wayne Country in the title to make it look "official". A few neighbors I talked to were suspicious too. We have quite a few seniors on the street.

First I'm not sure who this is. If this was authorized by Wayne County, you would have heard about it officially, newspaper ad, mailed flyer from the county, etc. I would think. Years ago I remember the same note being taped to the door. This reminds me of when whoever it was would leave notes on the door offering to install those globe lamps on your grass. On some streets they were in front of several houses and others none at all. I forgot what the charge was for the lamp. $99.00-$150.00???? They were advertised in the newspapers too I believe.

The curbs were done the next day for the houses that signed up but you just wonder with all the scams going on these days. Sorry to be so long but thank you for reading.

**Scottathew** · June-19-13, 09:53 PM

It's just another one of those people that like to try to sell you something while pretending to have authority or associations that they do not have.

I live in Warren, and we get things like this all the time. Most recently was a sewer line insurance sales flier that tried to make it sound like it was endorsed by the city of Warren, when it most certainly was not.

**DetroitPlanner** · June-19-13, 10:19 PM

Don't do it. You will be labeled as a sucker and rube by all con men who come down your street.

http://richmondsfblog.com/2012/08/16...uter-richmond/

**Gistok** · June-19-13, 10:59 PM

Um.... how is this a scam... if the service provided is indeed done before you pay??

This is a common practice in many neighborhoods in all parts of the metro area. I don't understand how it can be a scam, if you pay later??

My parents had their curb painted several times when they lived in Detroit... and they were satisfied...

There are many people who have the curb painting... makes it easier for Ambulances, Pizza delivery, etc...

**Django** · June-20-13, 05:21 AM

I agree with Gistok. They offer a service to paint your number on the curb. A good friend used to go door to offering to do this service in the early 90s. They very well may have some connection with Wayne County Neighborhood Watch.
Either way, pay for the service or no.
When I delivered pizzas as a kid I wished everyone had these numbers painted on their curb. Im sure the same goes for every delivery service.

**Meddle** · June-20-13, 05:52 AM

I remember it from the early 90s. Strictly voluntary, pay after the service is done. Might even be a local church or youth group doing it.

**Honky Tonk** · June-20-13, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by Django

I agree with Gistok. They offer a service to paint your number on the curb. A good friend used to go door to offering to do this service in the early 90s. They very well may have some connection with Wayne County Neighborhood Watch.
Either way, pay for the service or no.
When I delivered pizzas as a kid I wished everyone had these numbers painted on their curb. Im sure the same goes for every delivery service.

Not to mention ambulances, firefighters, and police.

**DetroitPlanner** · June-20-13, 07:10 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Um.... how is this a scam... if the service provided is indeed done before you pay??

You will be seen as an easy mark for all of the door to door salesman. Many times they misrepresent themselves as being from a city or official agency. Ask for permits they will not have any.

**sumas** · June-20-13, 07:13 AM

I guess beware of spammers but in my day that was quite legit, usually college kids drumming up a bit of change.

**KOMPOST** · June-20-13, 07:15 AM

This seems pretty cut and dried to me.
A) Yes, for $20.00 I'd like my house number painted on the curb.
B) No thanks.

**Scottathew** · June-20-13, 07:16 AM

I agree that it's not a scam, I just disagree when people like this try to confuse people into thinking they are associate with the city.

**rex** · June-20-13, 08:45 AM

Probably not a scam. Just someone trying to make some money. I rather give someone a play than a handout. This is just something I dont need.

**gazhekwe** · June-20-13, 09:13 AM

I had this done at my house by my local handyman. Tried to set him up to do it for others, something like this. It is a good thing to have done. But, people still go to the house across the street because our mailbox is on that side of the street.

We have fliers in our neighborhood for mailboxes, those kind that look like nuns. Then they put out fliers to put numbers on the boxes. I like it when people show some initiative and good work ethic.

If you pay after the job is done, what is the problem?

**JBMcB** · June-20-13, 09:57 AM

I think most people here have a problem with the wording, as do I -

"Your house address will be painted on your curb tomorrow. This service will aid police, fireman and all emergency services to locate your home in case of an emergency."

That's definitely a play from the high-pressure sales manual. "Your house address WILL be painted..." Imagine if you walked into a grocery store and a clerk says "You will be buying a bottle of wine today."

The proper introduction would be "We provide a service that paints your house number on your curb. You may want this done because..."

**Meddle** · June-20-13, 10:05 AM

^^ No. More like, "We'll be putting a bottle of wine by the cashier when you check out. If you give us $20 we'll put it in your bag."

**preserve** · June-20-13, 10:37 AM

The only time that service would work in my neighborhood would be in the
daylight hours when everyone who has to park on the street leaves for work and since it's daylight......

**Maof** · June-20-13, 01:39 PM

price has gone up. some guy has been doing it in my neck of the woods for $10. was on vacation a few years ago and my nit-wit neighbor told him to go ahead and do mine! i was pissed that she did but the guy never came back to collect!

**wolverine** · June-20-13, 10:17 PM

I'd want to see permits. Talk about complete lack of trust. If something like this were to happen in my neighborhood I'd have an embossed city sealed card with the Alderman's signature and phone number. And it would be free.

**old guy** · June-20-13, 11:12 PM

Wouldn't the city have to approve something like that? I'm not saying it's bad, but where else could it go without approval. Advertisements for personal use.

**poobert** · June-21-13, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by msamslex

This reminds me of when whoever it was would leave notes on the door offering to install those globe lamps on your grass.

This is way off topic, but is that where those things come from?? To me those were always so quintessentially Detroit, I never remember seeing them anywhere else. Mostly working class neighborhoods, too.

http://goo.gl/maps/o4Ya4
In particular right off Eight Mile, like this tidy little street, globe lights everywhere!

**msamslex** · June-21-13, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by 48091

I agree that it's not a scam, I just disagree when people like this try to confuse people into thinking they are associate with the city.

I apologize for using the word scam, wrong choice of words, but I do agree that this could be confusing because it said Wayne County, folks may think they had to do this. Like I said, the neighbor across the street had it done the next day after the note was taped on the door. On the other hand, some neighbors I talked to were suspicious and didn't fork over the money

**msamslex** · June-21-13, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by old guy

Wouldn't the city have to approve something like that? I'm not saying it's bad, but where else could it go without approval. Advertisements for personal use.

I wondered about that myself.

**gazhekwe** · June-21-13, 01:55 PM

I don't believe it needs approval, as it is for identification of the property, not advertising. You can certainly have the house number on your streetside mailbox.

**Wingnatic** · June-21-13, 02:01 PM

You can easily pick up stencils and a can of spray paint at most hardware stores and do it yourself , I'm pretty sure they make reflective spray paint .