Should owners be legally accountable for clearing snow from sidewalks
on their property?
Clear snow from sidewalks is a task of big importance, especially in places
where the climate is very generous in this regard. The significance of this issue might
not mean a lot for many in the world, but others who live in relatively colder places
would definitely understand it.
In many places, responsibility is laid upon the person who is in charge of a
particular property. This can be an owner, a tenant, an occupant or another person
who somewhat is responsible for the property. This regulation is mainly based on a
social phenomenon which dictates a shared responsibility for the sake of the society.
Because of the local authorities cannot reach and every corner of a particular
neighbourhood at once, it makes a perfect sense to share this responsibility with
every house? In this way, every person including those who are responsible to clear
sidewalks in front of their houses is served to walk in safely without any further
effort.
This idea is purely based on social factors, not only to ease the burdens of a
governing authority but also install the idea of collectively in people’s minds. In
theory, if someone falls and breaks a bone in front of your house because of your
negligence to clear the snow, you are the person to blame. Some people might think
that they already pay taxes to the local authorities to deal with this kind of issues.
That is absolutely right. However, as mentioned earlier, this is not only about taking
the burden from your council and easing the capacity of the local administration, but
rather a feeling of responsibility that would make people taking care of each other.
To sum up, clearing snow from sidewalks is not something that stands out of
the capacity of authorities. It is more about a sense of responsibility amongst the
society which could be necessary for more crucial and vital circumstances.
