Police search for ‘yard sign vigilante’ who appears to be posing as township official

Person sought for impersonating township official in Bucks County

Police in Bucks County are looking for a person they say has been impersonating a township official. Here's what we know.

UPPER SOUTHHAMPTON TWP, Pa. - You see them alongside roadways everywhere you go.  Plastic yard signs advertising anything from moving companies to power washing to home remodeling.  

For some business owners, it’s a free way to advertise. For others, the signs are a public eyesore littering public right of way. But apparently a "yard sign vigilante" has a big problem with these signs. 

What we know:

Some small local businesses are being mailed "fraudulent ordinance violations" claiming to be from the Upper Southhampton Code Enforcement Department. Those notices say owners are in violation of the town’s sign ordinance. However, the letters are fake and police want to find who wrote them.

"If someone is posing as a township official, yes, there is definitely something illegal there," said Upper Southampton Township Police Chief Dominic Varacallo.

Police say during the same week after a pile of yard signs were dumped outside the township administration building, police learned of fraudulent letters being sent to local businesses on behalf of the township.

What they're saying:

"We have received information that an individual has taken it upon him/herself to enforce Township ordinance (presumed) violations. This individual has trespassed onto residents' properties and removed signs as well as mailed (USPS) fraudulent ordinance violation warnings to businesses operating in town," said in a township news release.

The letters are fake violations against business owners whose advertising signs dot the local highways. The typed letters with a handwritten "Warning" at the top outline the town's sign ordinance along with a note telling them about complaints. The letters had a return address of the town's code enforcement, but those letters were never sent by the town, according to police. 

"Upper Southampton has not received any complaints, at least from the police department side of any of these businesses, but they took it upon themselves," said Chief Varacvallo.

Police say they may not have known about the fake letters if they weren’t returned to the township building by the post office for a wrong address.  Some say whoever took the signs and wrote the letters needs to relax.

"I really don’t really see the problems with the signs they are trying to put their business out there. I don’t see the problem with it," said Nolan O’Brien of Upper Southampton Township.

Police are concerned the person swiping signs is also trespassing on private property. Whoever it is they want to talk to them.

"Instead of pretending to be someone from the town, come to us and we can communicate with the business and communicate with the people who had the work done and come up with a solution as opposed to doing it vigilante-like" added Varacallo.

Fox 29 spoke to two of the business owners who were mailed the fake violations. They have not received the letters since they were returned to the township by the USPS.  Both say they didn’t believe their signs were in public right of way.

Police are asking anyone who received a similar notice of violation should verify with the Township License & Inspection office at 215-355-0677.