Who Is Responsible For Removing Snow From Sidewalks In New York State

It's the first snowfall for 2023 and we could be see a lot of snow and ice by the time that we are done this week. The last thing that we want is for someone to slip and fall on the sidewalk in front of our home or apartment.

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if you are a residential resident, there may be some things that you don't know when it comes to snow removal. I recently had a conversation with Joe Stanley from Stanley Law Offices.

He was gracious enough to answer my questions and he could be helping you as well. Think of it as free advice from a professional that knows what he's talking about.

New York Residential Snow Removal

My first question to Joe was: Who is responsible for the snow that's on a residential sidewalk? If it's your own sidewalk that comes and goes to your property, then you (the homeowner) are responsible for keeping it in a reasonably safe condition from snow and ice.

If it's a public sidewalk, most municipalities have a requirement that adjacent property owners keep the property clear of snow and ice. However, they don't impose legal liability for failure to do it.

With that being said, the municipality, if they are responsible, they have to have prior written notice of the dangerous condition. That's a difficult thing to do but in terms of common sense, if it's your sidewalk and it's in front of your residence, you should keep it clean.

]That way, you are being a good neighbor and can help to avoid someone falling on the sidewalk in front of your residence.

New York City Snow Removal

New York City is a whole different situation. Adjacent land owners have to keep ALL of their sidewalks in safe condition or they can be legally prosecuted for that. You have to get your sidewalks cleared in a timely manner.