Major winter storms cause headaches for commuters and municipalities, but they can also come with an unexpected expense for residents and business owners in the form of fines for not clearing their sidewalks.
For example, after a recent heavy snowfall, residents in Alexandria, Virginia, were warned by local news station NBC4 Washington that although the city temporarily suspended fines to give residents a grace period to deal with the cleanup, the city would begin issuing tickets for those who hadn’t cleared their sidewalks (1).
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The City of Alexandria website details the responsibilities for property owners, occupants, businesses and community associations, stating that “Snow and ice must be cleared from all paved sidewalks abutting your property within 24-72 hours of the end of the snowfall,” depending on the storm response level.” If you don’t clear your sidewalks, the city says you could face a $50 fine, or the city could do the work and then charge you for the cost.
Many homeowners, especially if they’re newcomers to the wintry parts of the country, might not realize they may be responsible for clearing snow and ice from the sidewalks outside their residence. Doing so can limit slips and falls by pedestrians, while keeping them on a safe path and away from roads.
Paying a price
While laws will differ depending on where you live, many municipalities require property owners to maintain the sidewalks that abut their property to some degree. Fines in some cases can reach hundreds of dollars. If you live in a city or town that has such laws, there’s a possibility that you could be liable if someone injures themselves on the sidewalk in front of your property…