Judge Upholds $12,000 Fine For Trudeau Sign Violations

The Connecticut Appellate Court has upheld the decision of a Danbury Superior Court judge who ordered Trudeau’s Service Center, Inc., to pay the town a $12,000 fine in connection with past numerous commercial sign violations at the South Main Street automotive repair business.

In its decision, the Connecticut Appellate Court affirmed the December 1998 decision of Danbury Superior Court Judge Thomas Nadeau, who had ruled in favor of the town concerning Trudeau’s multiple violations of the zoning regulations on commercial signs at the 47-49 South Main Street business.

Following the December 1998 Superior Court decision, Trudeau brought the case to the Appellate Court in seeking to overturn the ruling.

In his December 3, 1998 order, Judge Nadeau prohibited Trudeau from posting illegal signs at the auto repair business in the future. The judge’s order required Trudeau to remove all illegal signs including any internally illuminated signs.

In calculating the penalties for Trudeau’s sign violations, Judge Nadeau levied a civil fine in the amount of $25 per day for the period of 480 days which ended in June 1998, for a total fine of $12,000. The judge had ordered Trudeau to pay that fine by January 15, 1999.

A company by the name of Newtown Tire and Service, Inc., is now doing business at the property which formerly held Trudeau’s Service Center.