VERIFY QUESTION
More than four days post-snow storm, you've likely gone back to work. To do that, you have had to shovel your driveway -- but have you shoveled your sidewalk?
Good Morning Show viewer Connie Downs asked -- "Are residents legally responsible and obligated to clear snow from the sidewalks in front of their homes? I live in downtown Winston-Salem and (am) not capable of clearing this massive snowfall and will need help. I am willing to hire a company but want to get a reputable one. I live on a corner lot, so I have two blocks of sidewalk."
VERIFY SOURCE
- City of Winston-Salem ordinance (section 74-12)
- City of Greensboro
- 2 Wants To Know
VERIFY PROCESS
The Winston-Salem Code of Ordinances specifies, in section 74-12, the tenant of any building or land parcel bordering a city street must keep the sidewalk clean. After snow or sleet stops falling, the tenant or occupant must clean the sidewalk within two hours. If the snow or sleet stops in the middle of the night, the tenant must clear the sidewalk by noon the following day. If no one lives in the building or on the land with the sidewalk, it becomes the responsibility of the owner, agent or custodian.
Other Triad cities have similar ordinances, but as our 2 Wants To Know team has reported in the past, those ordinances are rarely enforced. There are no listed fines attached. Some lawyers will remind homeowners and property owners they are liable if they do a bad job shoveling, and someone slips and falls.
VERIFY CONCLUSION
Sidewalk shoveling is the responsibility of the tenant, property owner or custodian -- not the city.
Do you have a VERIFY inquiry? Send a note or selfie video of the inquiry to Meghann Mollerus:
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E-mail: Mmollerus@wfmy.com