Surety Bond Encyclopedia

Temporary Signs Bond - Southfield, MI in Michigan

Brief Summary

In Southfield, the removal security has to go in with the temporary sign permit application, along with a signed right to enter agreement. The temporary signs bond guarantees the city that the sign comes down on time, or that the city is repaid if it has to take the sign down itself. It is a small bond with a specific job, and having it ready keeps the permit from stalling at the counter.

The City of Southfield requires a bond and a right to enter agreement with every temporary sign permit application. The city's sign permit application sets the temporary sign bond at $150, and section 8.51 of the Southfield sign ordinance ties that security to removal: the city can take down a sign left up after the permit expires and recover its removal costs from the security. Banner signs carry a $250 security under the same section.

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How to Apply for a Temporary Signs Bond:

Sign owner or business name and the property address where the temporary sign will stand.
Signed right to enter agreement for the property.
Complete the bond application and review the quoted premium.
Receive the signed temporary sign bond naming the City of Southfield as obligee.
Submit the sign permit application in duplicate with the bond, the $100 deposit and the $40 application fee.
Pay the permit fee set by City Council once the permit is approved.
Remove the sign before the permit expires so the security is released.

Detailed Information About the Michigan Temporary Signs Bond:

What Southfield asks for with a temporary sign

Southfield regulates signs in Chapter 99 of its city code, rewritten by Ordinance 1667. Section 8.51 allows temporary and real estate signs over six square feet only on conditions, and the city's sign permit application spells out the paperwork: a $100 deposit, a $40 application fee, and for a temporary sign, a $150 bond and a right to enter permit that accompany the deposit and fee. The permit fee set by City Council is paid after approval.

What the bond guarantees

The security is about removal. Under section 8.51, if a sign is not removed when its permit expires, the city removes it and deducts the cost of removal from the security. The right to enter agreement gives the city access to the property to do that, and for rigid temporary and real estate signs it stays in effect for 90 days after the temporary permit expires. When the sign comes down on time, the security is released.

Two kinds of temporary sign, two amounts

Rigid material temporary and real estate signs: $150 security. The permit can run up to 12 months from the date of permit, with an extension of equal time available. Each sign carries a temporary sign tag, one sign is allowed per street frontage, and the area is capped at one square foot per 1,500 square feet of land, up to 200 square feet.
Banner signs for grand openings, anniversary sales and special promotions: $250 security. A banner permit runs no more than 30 days, and a banner may be up no more than 30 days every three months. It is limited to one square foot per linear foot of building frontage or 50 square feet, whichever is less, one per event.

A second bond on the same application

The Southfield sign permit application also states that the applicant must be bonded and lists a $5,000 bond. The city publishes a Sign Erector Uniform Surety Bond form in that $5,000 amount. That bond is separate from the temporary sign security described on this page.

Before the bond is issued

Confirm the current bond form and amount for your sign type with the City of Southfield sign permit office at 26000 Evergreen Road, 248-796-4117, before the surety signs.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Michigan Temporary Signs Bond:

Security of $150 for a rigid material temporary or real estate sign, or $250 for a banner, under Southfield sign ordinance section 8.51.
City of Southfield named as obligee.
Right to enter agreement, which for rigid temporary signs runs 90 days past the permit expiration.
Temporary sign tag on every temporary and real estate sign.
Sign size, count and time limits of section 8.51 for the sign type.

Michigan Temporary Signs Bond FAQs:

How much is the Southfield temporary sign bond?

The city's sign permit application lists a $150 bond for a temporary sign. Section 8.51 of the sign ordinance sets the security at $150 for rigid material temporary and real estate signs and $250 for banner signs.

What happens if the sign is left up after the permit expires?

The city removes the sign and deducts its removal costs from the security. The right to enter agreement you sign with the application gives the city access to the property to do it.

How long can a temporary sign stay up?

A rigid temporary or real estate sign can be permitted for up to 12 months from the date of permit, with an extension of equal time available. A banner permit runs no more than 30 days, and a banner may be up no more than 30 days every three months.

Is this the same as the $5,000 sign bond?

No. The sign permit application also states that the applicant must be bonded for $5,000, and Southfield publishes a Sign Erector Uniform Surety Bond form in that amount. The temporary sign security is a separate removal guarantee for the specific sign.

How is the premium set?

The surety prices the bond from the applicant's credit, the bond amount and the permit term. The premium is paid when the bond is issued and is not refunded when the sign comes down.