NYC: Property Owners Must Remove Snow Or Face Fines

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snow-shovel[Video below.] New Yorkers could face a hefty fine if they don’t start removing snow, ice and dirt from sidewalks. The City code states that every person who is in charge of any building or lot of ground in the city that has a paved sidewalk must remove the snow, ice, dirt or any other material from the sidewalk within four hours after the snow ceases to fall.

Businesses are also vulnerable and could face fines ranging from $100 to $350, reports CBS 2’s Magee Hickey.

The Buildings Department also advises that property owners safely remove ice and snow from rooftops as well.

Water from the melting snow can collect on roofs and present a threat to the structural integrity of the building, and the colder temperatures may lead to the water to form icicles that could pose a threat to public safety if not removed.

New Yorkers are encouraged to call 311 to report non-compliant conditions, according to the Buildings Department.

Property owners must keep their sidewalks clean and are also responsible for snow removal, according to the City.

In the event that the snow and ice are frozen so hard that the person cannot remove it, he or she must spread ashes or sawdust on the area, according to the code.

The City offers the following tips when preparing to remove snow on your property:

Tips for Staying Warm

Exposure to cold can cause life-threatening health conditions. Avoid serious conditions such as frostbite and hypothermia, by keeping warm.

•Wear a hat, hood, or scarf, as most heat is lost through the head.
•Wear layers, as they provide better insulation and warmth.
•Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered if you go outside.
•Keep clothing dry; if a layer becomes wet, remove it.

Snow Removal Safety Tips

•Stretch before you go out. If you go out to shovel snow, do a few stretching exercises to warm up your body. This may prevent injury.
•Cover your mouth. Protect your lungs from extremely cold air by covering your mouth when outdoors.
•Avoid overexertion. Cold weather puts an added strain on the heart. Unfamiliar exercise, such as shoveling snow or pushing a car, can bring on a heart attack or make other medical conditions worse. Take frequent rest breaks, and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
•Keep dry. Change wet clothes frequently to prevent a loss of body heat. Wet clothing loses all of its insulating value and transmits heat rapidly.
•Stay safe. Walk carefully on snowy or icy sidewalks. If using a snowblower, NEVER use your hands to unclog the machine.
•Maintain an awareness of utilities when shoveling snow. Do not cover fire hydrants with snow when clearing sidewalks and driveways. Do not shovel snow into manholes and catch basins.
•Offer to help individuals who require special assistance, including seniors and people with disabilities.

Click below for a video of the blizzard in Boro Park, courtesy of Shiezoli:

{CBS/AP/NRJ/Matzav.com}


15 COMMENTS

  1. This is a very legitimate source of income for the city. If people are so inconsiderate and lack the mentchlichkeit to clear their sidewalks they put the elderly at risk of falls or even worse, lo aleinu. They deserve to be fined. Also, people who pull only partway into a driveway, blocking the sidewalk, should also be fined for the same reason. I am disabled and my life was put into danger last year by such an inconsiderate person.Give them tickets! Maybe then they will learn to be mentchen.

  2. why don’t landlords clean their walks from snow? So we can fall and break our necks.Why don’t they put ice on the sidewalk. Everyone knows what the forecast is in advance. Why don’t they prepare? Why is my millionaire landlord incapable of seeeeeeing that I can trip and break my bones because he is lazy to sweep the walk or hire someone to do it? y?y?y?

  3. The city was turtle ssllloowww with cleaning up, they cant fine a/o!!! I had a cousin from Canada stuck at my house. He couldnt get over the city. Canada is used to such snow, but they are super fast in getting it cleared!

  4. I cleaned in front of my house, now if the city cleans the strret then I can get to my other properties and clean those as well. Oh hire somebody?? Well I actually employ 10 people who are ready willing and able to clean the properties IF THEY CAN GET THERE!!!!!

  5. TO “The facts”: Actually, there really is no such thing as cold. It is the absence of heat. What was meant was that clothing helps you retain body heat. The heaviest coat in the world is not mosif one drop of hevel, to borrow an expression from hilchos Shabbos. It only reflects and retains body heat. When it is wet, it loses that ability. In essence, your body heat goes right through the clothing and doesn’t stay trapped. So the article was stating the exact technical truth.

  6. From a Halachic perspective I would suspect that home owners are ????? to shovel their walks to prevent a ???? ???? or ??? ????? ?????. Even yungerleit who are ???? not to do any physical work or exertion should also try to get out and shovel or at least hire someone to clean the walks in front of their homes.
    I would also suggest that frum men wear a warm hat when going outside. I asked my Rav if I was a allowed to go outside with other than my black hat and he told me that in a situation such as this it was ???? and not a problem of ????? ??? since everyone will know that it’s because of the extreme weather and not a religious reason.

  7. #3 no it should not be “transmits cold rapidly”, wet clothing transmits HEAT rapidly, clothes help by retaining the heat produced by the body, when they are wet they transmit HEAT rapidly causing it to be lost to the environment and the wearer to be cold

  8. @ #2 Yhirsh
    The use of tire chains has been outlawed for a long time. Do you know why? Those tire chains tear up the road, making more expensive repair work to be done.

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