Section 11: Advertising Signs
Anchor: #i1004181Eligibility
The owner of a displaced advertising sign is eligible to receive payment for moving expenses, including:
- the expense of moving his advertising sign a distance not to exceed 50 miles; or
- the loss of direct tangible personalty ; or
- the expense of searching for a replacement sign site as provided in Actual Direct Loss of Tangible Personal Property
The provisions of this chapter do not apply to:
- illegal or abandoned signs;
- eligible signs that are moved or proposed to be moved to a site in violation of State, Federal, or local regulations;
- signs if the owner is entitled to other payments having the same general purpose as payments described in this Chapter;
- outdoor advertising signs that are buried on an acquired property unless the sign is tenant-owned and is determined to be personalty; or
- signs owned by and located on the same premises as a displaced business, farm operation, or nonprofit organization. These signs are considered items of the business, farm operation, or nonprofit organization, as appropriate.
The owner of a displaced sign may be reimbursed for his reasonable moving expenses in agreement with the provisions of Types of Eligible Moving Expenses - Non-residential. Each cost submission must include a sign inventory (number of signs on the parcel), applicable section and permit numbers, Information Notice and Declaration for Advertising Sign Relocation (Form ROW-A-ReloSign) and a description of the sign including its dimensions, number of poles, lighting, material types, and current advertisement.
Anchor: #i1004245Value of Displaced Sign
Payment for direct loss of an advertising sign that is personalty must be the lesser of:
- the depreciated value of the displaced sign, as determined by TxDOT, less sign sale or salvage value proceeds; or
- the estimated cost to dismantle and transport the sign directly to the owner’s nearest shop or storage area, not exceeding 50 miles.
Determine the depreciated value referred to above according to the procedures for advertising signs under the Highway Beautification Program. These procedures use valuation methods based on value findings, cost schedules, and appraisals. Whether by appraisal, value finding, or cost schedules, sign evaluations are made by TxDOT personnel. When using cost schedules to determine value, apply the schedules to each sign and to determine depreciation on each sign using depreciation schedules or applicable depreciation factors established for the sign owner under the Highway Beautification Program. Any sign not adaptable to the schedules must be appraised. A minimum value of $10 may be established for any sign. Use Form ROW-A-12, Advertising Sign Value Computations, for value calculations and approval by the District.
When a sign previously considered real property is later treated as personalty, request the ROW Division to delete the approved sign adjustment cost from the parcel value. If not previously submitted, submit this request with the recommendation for prior approval of a self-move or at the time a payment request is submitted for reimbursement of receipted and itemized bills.
In acquiring highway ROW, many off-premise signs within the taking cannot be relocated to the remainder or abutting property under the requirements of Sign Standards in Volume 7. When this occurs, refer to MovingCertain Off-Premise Signs in Volume 2 for instructions.