elizabethkott
01-22-2012, 10:32 PM
We got a bit of snow yesterday - about 4 inches (I know, Seattle, I shouldn't complain!). We live in an incorperated village, and thus pay additional taxes for things like leaf removal, snow removal, etc.
On my walk with the dogs tonight, I discovered that three of my neighbors did not clear the sidewalks in front of their houses AT ALL. We have a blind woman who lives two doors down; what if she had had to go out for some reason? Talk about a hazard!
But on top of that, the section of sidewalk, about .5 miles in length that is village property and thus the village's responsibility that borders on a park preserve was also not cleared. I nearly slipped multiple times on my walk, because of course now people have been walking, tramping down the snow, and it's now all iced over.
Here is the code as it is written:
152-9: Removal of snow, ice, dirt and obstructions:
The owners and occupants of all lots abutting on sidewalks shall keep the sidewalks in front of such lots free and clear of all snow, ice, dirt and other obstructions and in a safe condition for public travel. The owners and occupants of all lots abutting on sidewalks shall repair and remedy all defects in such sidewalks unless notified in writing by the Village that the Village will repair and remedy such defects as provided for in § 152-12 hereof.
Continuing...
152-12:
In the event any such owner or occupant fails to comply in any respect with the provisions of § 152-9 hereof, the Village may, without notice, remove any snow, ice, dirt or other obstruction from such sidewalks, or repair and remedy any defects therein, or otherwise put the same in a safe condition for public travel. The expense of any such work performed by the Village, or the expense of any work performed pursuant to § 152-11 hereof by the Village and charged wholly or partly against the owner or occupants of abutting lots, shall be assessed against the lot of such owner or occupant, and such expense shall constitute a lien and charge thereon until paid, satisfied or otherwise discharged, and shall be collected by the Village Treasurer in the manner provided by law for the collection of delinquent taxes.
Now, what should I do? Write a letter? An email? A letter cc'd to the local paper? Attend the next general meeting of the village board on the first Thursday in February? I'm annoyed enough about this to make a stink. I pay taxes. I clear our sidewalks (or DH does, if his back is okay that day). We do the right thing. It's in the code, and I want others to have to hold up their responsibilites as well, including the village.
I should also mention that there is a section of the village sidewalk that is in horrible disrepair - I actually turned my ankle walking the dogs one night last summer because of it
So what would you do?
On my walk with the dogs tonight, I discovered that three of my neighbors did not clear the sidewalks in front of their houses AT ALL. We have a blind woman who lives two doors down; what if she had had to go out for some reason? Talk about a hazard!
But on top of that, the section of sidewalk, about .5 miles in length that is village property and thus the village's responsibility that borders on a park preserve was also not cleared. I nearly slipped multiple times on my walk, because of course now people have been walking, tramping down the snow, and it's now all iced over.
Here is the code as it is written:
152-9: Removal of snow, ice, dirt and obstructions:
The owners and occupants of all lots abutting on sidewalks shall keep the sidewalks in front of such lots free and clear of all snow, ice, dirt and other obstructions and in a safe condition for public travel. The owners and occupants of all lots abutting on sidewalks shall repair and remedy all defects in such sidewalks unless notified in writing by the Village that the Village will repair and remedy such defects as provided for in § 152-12 hereof.
Continuing...
152-12:
In the event any such owner or occupant fails to comply in any respect with the provisions of § 152-9 hereof, the Village may, without notice, remove any snow, ice, dirt or other obstruction from such sidewalks, or repair and remedy any defects therein, or otherwise put the same in a safe condition for public travel. The expense of any such work performed by the Village, or the expense of any work performed pursuant to § 152-11 hereof by the Village and charged wholly or partly against the owner or occupants of abutting lots, shall be assessed against the lot of such owner or occupant, and such expense shall constitute a lien and charge thereon until paid, satisfied or otherwise discharged, and shall be collected by the Village Treasurer in the manner provided by law for the collection of delinquent taxes.
Now, what should I do? Write a letter? An email? A letter cc'd to the local paper? Attend the next general meeting of the village board on the first Thursday in February? I'm annoyed enough about this to make a stink. I pay taxes. I clear our sidewalks (or DH does, if his back is okay that day). We do the right thing. It's in the code, and I want others to have to hold up their responsibilites as well, including the village.
I should also mention that there is a section of the village sidewalk that is in horrible disrepair - I actually turned my ankle walking the dogs one night last summer because of it
So what would you do?