City officials often run afoul of their local business communities when attempting to enforce amortization schemes which specify specific time periods during which it’s assumed sign users have the opportunity to recoup their investments in existing, non-conforming signs. As explained here, however, the basis for amortization is fundamentally flawed because no actual compensation is received by the businesses which must remove their existing signs, nor is any compensation given for the loss of advertising exposure which often accompanies these mandates for removal of existing signage.