Entrepreneur Wins Sign Case

Jon McLeod and business partner Kevin Morrison drive trucks with ads that swivel every few seconds to display a new message. However, Collier County had outlawed any vehicle with moving signs, primarily due to “community aesthetics.”

In an injunction earlier this year, U.S. District Court Judge John Steele told government lawyers the case didn’t explain how Mobile Exposure’s signs were degrading community aesthetics, while signs on taxis or delivery vehicles were permissible. The county planned to fine McLeod $1,000 per infraction. Despite the opinion, McLeod still had to decide whether to fight the county, which he did.

The case was settled out of court before trial. McLeod was awarded a $225,000 settlement, though nearly all but $500 of it went to legal costs. He estimates he lost $275,000 for the time his truck’s signs weren’t turning. “We ran one-third of our ads, and that’s running in the red,” McLeod said. “But we had contracts and we’re trying to honor them as best we can.”