Neighbor who only shovels walk and driveway--not sidewalk! archived

Yep. Call the township.

She's all set up for a fine.

Call the town, not sure who actually writes tickets for this (the cops?)

They should probably hand out some overtime and just have a guy walk around all day long writing tickets for not shoveling - he'd pay for himself 5x over.

What the others said...call the powers that be. I love the people who shovel their driveway, build a snowperson and neglect to shovel their sidewalks.

I disagree. I say speak with the neighbor first. Tell her what an inconvenience it is first and that it doesn't comply with the law second.

TR - she spoke to the woman last year - the woman knows that you are supposed to shovel the walks. I say "turn her cheap a$$ in!"

I don't think that calling the police is always about punishing and "getting" people. It's just that sometimes a police or township official are in a better position to explain laws to people than neighbors are ... this is the code, this is why it is a code etc.

Seems to me if the woman doesn't want to pay the $30 or whatever it would cost to clear it off when the snow is new, I can't imagine she'd want to pay double that amount to clear what by now must be ice and very heavy snow, just because a neighbor has an issue.

I guess if I talked to the woman regularly, I'd mention it, otherwise I'd have the police/township explain the law to her, and they can decide if they want to forego giving a ticket and just have it be a warning.

I'm gonna compromise -- leave her a note saying I will call the township if she doesn't do it in the next 48 hours. Will keep you posted. Thanks for validating my annoyance! :facepalm:

Apple - I illegally park my car once in a while. It is a risk I take. Yes, I know I can park legally and definitely NOT get a ticket but sometimes I am lazy and take that risk. When I get a ticket it is nobody's fault but my own.

This is the way I view the situation - she knows that she should shovel her sidewalk but she only pays to have her driveway and front walk shoveled therefore she is accepting the risk of possibly getting a ticket.

I suspect you're right, but I'm not entirely convinced what this woman knows. There are incredibly stubborn and self-centered people who firmly believe the space in front of their homes ... the sidewalk, the street parking ... truly is their own, only "on loan" to others. She may be one of them, or not.

Posted By: Tom ReingoldI disagree. I say speak with the neighbor first. Tell her what an inconvenience it is first and that it doesn't comply with the law second.

What's that going to do? She obviously knows that it snowed, right? It's like asking a neighbor to bring their barking dog inside. They know it's barking, they just don't care.

She KNOWS the sidewalk is covered in snow - she just doesn't care.

Wow, that's a big F you to the whole neighborhood. I'd report her.

Posted By: deborahgleave her a note saying I will call the township if she doesn't do it in the next 48 hours.

of course, if you leave the note on her front stoop, she'll make the claim that your ability to do so proves that her property is completely accessible

I'd just move, much easier :wink:

Posted By: deborahgleave her a note saying I will call the township if she doesn't do it in the next 48 hours.

of course, if you leave the note on her front stoop, she'll make the claim that your ability to do so proves that her property is completely accessible

I'd just move, much easier :wink:

It is a safety issue. That is why there are ordinances requiring the walks be shoveled within 24 hours. Pedestrians could slip and injure themselves on the uneven, unshoveled walk. Even worse, they could be hit by a car if they detoured and walk in the streets. Our children walk on the sidewalks to school.


You should notify the township.

As much as I hate to involve the authorities as a first line of attack, in this case, it seems warranted. Your neighbor made the conscious decision not to shovel her sidewalk, which is in violation of the town ordinance. It's a safety issue above all.

we call people like this "weasels". Its not like they were away, or unable to get to it for some legit reason...its a pattern of weaseliness.

Who exactly do you call to report this?

I have the same issue with a house on Centre St in South Orange... the route I walk to the jitney every day. It has been treacherous, particularly at night when the sidewalks freeze over and the gas lamps fail to provide adequate light for navigation through the ice.

I'm on my last nerve with an able-bodied thirtysomething couple on my block who seldom bother to shovel their 35 foot sidewalk and when they do it's a piss poor job. They decided not to shovel at all this time and now you have to wade through the snow bank on the berm to get the street. Am calling town hall today.

Wow, if she hadn't had any of her property cleared, I'd give her the benefit of the doubt. Having her walk cleared but not the sidewalk indicates such a total disregard for neighbors and amazing irresponsibility that I say report her selfish ass. Do you know her personally? What kind of person does this?

Is there any chance that maybe that's really all she can afford? Maybe her priority is getting herself back and forth to work, and she just doesn't have the extra money to shovel the sidewalk?

deborahg: Take a walk on her unshoveled sidewalk and take a nasty spill. Make sure there are witnesses

srp - not being able to afford it isn't an excuse. It is a responsibility of home ownership.

Posted By: algebra2srp - not being able to afford it isn't an excuse. It is a responsibility of home ownership.

Agreed. I mean, if she's older and unable to do it herself, perhaps neighbors could pitch in and do the shoveling for her. However, I didn't get the impression from the OP that this was the case.

If she can't afford to pay to have it done she should be doing it herself. If she's not strong enough, she should enlist help of friends/neighbors. I think most people are generally good and would be willing to help a neighbor if asked....heck, most of us are willing to help before being asked.

My official ruling is that if she can afford to have someone do some, but not all, of the shoveling, it should be the areas where the public needs access. But no one really cares about my official rulings....

I say stone her...

No, really, it is a hazard. She should be taken to task.

Teneciah said it best. So I am repeating... SINCE she can afford to PAY someone to clear some of her property, she should make sure the first cleared area is the portion where the public needs to walk. This should be pointed out to her by a neighbor if she is friendly (imo) or by the local police department if it is an ongoing problem, which apparently, it is. This is a too dangerous a violation to allow it to continue.

If she comes from a foreign nation she may not realize all the areas of responsibility that accompany home ownership in The States. I know this was the case with an acquaintance of mine; she had no clue until she was ticketed! This young woman thought the township cleared the walkways!! Apparently, she observed DPW personnel shoveling public walkways (accessing the municipal lots, near train stations, etc. ) and she generalized that to include her own sidewalks!

She is loaded -- huge house that she renovated to the nines, gorgeous cars. Obviously a single business woman. Travels often, has services to handle snow clearing etc. She's not from a foreign nation. Throws occasional large parties. Doesn't speak to anyone in the neighborhood.

It's complicated because the house is on the corner and is technically in West Orange! I tried calling their township, no answer today. Leaving a note, then we will see.

Just checked West Orange's website, they are closed today and Monday.

The rule is within 12 hrs of the end of the storm you must have cleared your sidewalk.As this is subjective.I would think that code enforcement gives some leeway but with the storm ending in the overnight Weds/Thurs,this AM is being more than generous timewise.