A Masonic Temple in Etobicoke says it has spent thousands of dollars in the past year and a half trying in vain to remove illegal clothing donation bins that keep reappearing on its property.

The latest box plunked down behind the temple is designed to look like a charity's collection box. But it has no logo or affiliation — only a phone number that links to an automated message claiming donated items are "diverted from landfills and supporting local jobs."

The unregistered donation bin is one of at least 200 city-wide that were identified by city staff last year.

"It's a lucrative market, used clothing," said Carleton Grant, the city's head of municipal licensing and standards.

"People place boxes that aren't made of the best materials; they're cheap and cheerful and they're put under a name that makes it sound like it's a charity and they're doing good things, and they are not."

"What happens is they're removed by the property owner or by us, and they're back in three days."

Coun. Stephen Holyday says he sympathizes with private landowners who are being victimized by unscrupulous organizations that leave clothing bins on private property. (Paul Smith/CBC News)

That's the business model plaguing David Traves, president of the Masonic Temple on Renforth Drive, near Rathburn Road and Highway 427.

For the past 18 months, he says, someone has been placing an unapproved wooden bin on the temple's property out of sight of its security cameras.

"Sometimes we'll take it apart, sometimes [we] tip it over, and it'll pop up the next day," Traves told CBC Toronto.

He says the clothing boxes have been replaced on temple property countless times.

Paying staff to have the box removed, disassembled or trucked away has cost the fraternal organization "a few thousand" dollars, Traves says.

David Traves says he's asked the city to suggest ways to end the illegal drop-off of clothing bins on temple property. (Mike Smee/CBC)

Adding to the temple's woes, he says, the city has on four occasions issued written warnings to the temple to remove the box or be fined.

Now, his general manager is fed up, Traves says, which is why temple staff went to the city for help to end the unauthorized clothing collections.

Stephen Holyday, the city councillor for the area, says he sympathizes.

'We're all working towards a solution'

"This is one of the more challenging things that councillors see when a particular individual or organization is victimized by somebody that has done something without their permission, and it puts them in a bad spot," he said.

Holyday says he's asked city staff to ease off on issuing citations to the temple until a solution to the reappearing drop boxes is found.

"We've contacted the bylaw enforcement office to try to let them know that the circumstances are complicated in this case," he said.

"We're all working towards a solution."

Meantime, Grant says the city is finalizing a new strategy to curb the illegal clothing collection trade.

He says his department is planning to work with transportation staff to identify, pick up and dispose of unregistered donation boxes.

The city will charge the property owner a fee for the service.

Traves says he's tried to contact the owners of the box through the number painted on the side, but has never received a reply.

What message does he have for the operators?

"If you could please come get your box," he told CBC Toronto, "we'll stop deconstructing them."