it probably going to be the other way around...they going to charge more property tax to remove snow off public roads..just like how the people of the city paying for rich people over budget stadium and we can't even go in for free even though we paid for it
It sounds like a racket that moves in a circle, getting the revenue to clear the streets from bullshit penalties to home owners who can't clear their sidewalks. Pretty damn sure they overcharge the hell out of it.
On our street only one side has a sidewalk and our property is the first with the largest portion. It’s not our property (as in sidewalks are city property) and no one ever bothered to help. At this point I couldn’t give a rats ass. Everyone wants to take but never pitch-in.
He is absolutely correct about leaving a layer of hardpack snow for extra grip. Better than shoveling all the snow off and leaving a giant sheet of ice.
So they want him to somehow clear the snow to the concrete? This is the double standard that pisses me off in thus state. The plows will leave 6ft ice walls in front of your driveway pack snow so tight that even a plow would have difficulty moving. Yet you complain about any of that your unminnesotan yet the city does it and it's called a fine. When it's so cold calcium chloride won't melt it nothing will help until Temps dip well above zero again here. Which they will not until this coming Saturday and Sunday.
A couple years ago the city I live in started fining people for their sidewalks not being cleared so I spent 4 hours driving around to all the places the city should be clearing the sidewalks and reported them. A few days latter at the city meeting I raised cane about the unfair treatment and the stopped fining people for it.
What happens if you're out of town? What if you clear "your" sidewalk and a city plow shoves snow from the road back on to the sidewalk? If someone falls and gets injured is it now the responsibility of the nearest homeowner? This ridiculous city ordinance has created some huge legal grey areas.
When the village plow came by and plowed snow from the road all across the end of my driveway, I just got my snowblower and blew the snow back onto the road.
If you are out of town you need to get a friend or relative to shovel while you are away or hire someone to do it. It’s been that way in Minneapolis for many years.
@@mase7557 And if somebody wrecks out because of the snow back in the road they and the city will come after you. Complete BS, honestly, that they can dump the shit in your driveway and not get fined, but you get bent over a rail when you clear your property - or sidewalk - by moving the snow back where it came from.
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
@@greg2142 There's probably 80 plus miles of sidewalk in my 2 mile by 4 mile hometown. Do the math on the labor. 2 or more snow events every week from mid December to early march. Most city workforce is union.
Welcome to the real world. The city mandated sidewalks be installed in developments and along streets, but the adjacent property owners are responsible for keeping them clear. Been that way for generations. And if the city does not impose fines for not clearing the sidewalk then if/when someone falls and gets hurt the city as well as the property owner are named in the lawsuit. If the city enforces then they are not named. Same way if someone gets hurt due to an OSHA violation. If the company has no record of enforcement then the company allows violations.
Here in Michigan we won a case that shows the sidewalk is public property therefore its the responsibility of the local public works to maintain it, not homeowners.
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
In Ny where I am if it’s to ridiculous the town brings a bobcat. Minnesota gets a shit ton of snow how are they treating the residents like that. Cough cough money.
I grew up in Minneapolis and my dad was always shoveling the walk. Now we live in a small town and they don't enforce sidewalk shoveling here. We still do shovel our walk but our neighbors do not. It is unfair to fine elderly or disabled people because they are unable to shovel their sidewalk! Thank goodness for people who offer to help.
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
No one walks during or after snowstorms where I live. So what's the point? The point is, government can extract money from you because we've given them authority to do so.
@@norml.hugh-mann Yeah there mostly peaceful protests are up to what 4 Bill $ in damages?? The keys are in the ignition and the house is unlocked here..
They are part of the city right-of-way, but it appears the city has codified that the city is responsible for repairs, but the owners of the adjacent property are responsible for upkeep and care (such as removing ice and snow).
@@pat_in_va8605 yeah and that's a complete BS law written by somebody with rosy colored visions of nice young families with small kids where shoveling is not an issue. The actual reality is far different, and this sad and pathetic law forces disabled people to try to do chores they simply are not safe to attempt on any level... the fact that there is not a complete exception for people with limited mobility (i.e. don't need to jump hoops to be "official") to just tell the city they will be responsible for your sidewalk is pathetic on all levels. We have communities to invest in things where "economies of scale" kick in - such a street plowing and so sidewalk plowing should be no different at all. If the city asserts they need to be clear, it is FULLY on them to do so... one of the main reasons I would never consider living in St Paul proper, because they don't realize that stupid laws like this keep people from even _considering_ living there. They're so far out of touch it's sad - and this is not a left vs right thing, it's just a bunch of old fuddie duddies too used to smelling each others' farts to notice how out of the times the rules have become. The ADA has been a thing for a long time now - yet they still dare to act like we all are personally responsible to shovel... erm. no!!!
The person who went to complain should help this elderly man shovel the snow. People don't have work to do, they just love to complain. Stop complaining and be part of the solution.
Can the home owner fence off that part of the sidewalk so no one can use it? If not then the home owner doesn't own it. Why are they responsible for something they don't own?
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
This strikes me as a scam. The City officials know full well that the homeowners don't own, nor are they responsible for the sidewalk maintenance. They're issuing these finds in full knowledge of their illegality, banking on people not having the resources or the know-how to fight them.
If it's the homeowners responsibility than the homeowner should be able to tear it out at any time and return the concrete to the public works department that left it there.
I've had 2 heart attacks. Fine me all you want, not gonna pay it. You want the walkway cleared. You shovel it, still not gonna pay it. Not going to risk my life, when the city won't help. They've told me I'm not old enough nor am I disabled enough to qualify for help.
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
@@basillah7650 We all knew when we chose to live here that keeping our neighborhood sidewalks clear was our responsibility. What we pay in taxes here in St. Paul would be much higher if the sidewalks in neighborhoods were included. They would need to at least quadruple the street maintenance workforce to accomplish the task. The bigger the government the smaller the citizens.
Get a land survey as many of the sidewalks are not on your property. Nothing in your deed says you have clear the sidewalks if not on your property. This happened to a friend of mine, did a survey and his lot line ended at the sidewalk facing his home. Citation thrown out.
Wow! I've lived in Bemidji, Minnesota for 24 years and never heard of homeowners being required to clear the city sidewalks. The city owns a ten foot strip along each side of the street I live on but there's no sidewalk. By the way Saint Paul is a dismal place (but not as bad as Minneapolis).
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
You might need to reconsider having that attorney. The sidewalks are not federal property. They fall within the city right-of-way, with the city responsible for repairs while owners of adjacent property (to the sidewalk) are responsible for its care and upkeep (such as keeping it clear of snow/ice).
That’s ridiculous. I lived in St. Paul for a few years. The first year I lived downtown there was a big snowstorm. The cleaned it up promptly. But the next time there was a big snowfall, they just left it piled up between the sidewalk and the street. Pedestrians had to climb over it because there weren’t paths cleared at the corners. They must have spent all their snow removal money on the previous blizzard. My recollection is that people in St. Paul were in good humor during snow season. People helped each other to get through it. Turning in your neighbors seems contrary to the community spirit I remember.
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
Do the homeowners pay taxes on that land? Can they do what they want with that land? Do the homeowners pay taxes to the town to maintain public infratructure? The town should buy a couple of tractor/snowblowers and hire a few people to clear the sidewalks, just like they do in my town. I live in western Maine...no stranger to snow.
You're absolutely right! Grew up in Southern Maine and now live in New Hampshire. Most cities around here have a sidewalk plow/snowblower to maintain the public sections.
I had a corner lot in a city in MI and they used to cite/fine people for this. The next house I bought was in a very small city in MI, and they plowed the sidewalks (cost was included in our property tax). The next house I bought, in Northern MI, when I retired, was rural acreage and no sidewalks!
Sounds like the city council is over zealous seeing dollar signs, that city should see who's footing the bill for each counsel members snow removal or if they are giving themselves a free pass
Pro Tip: there are times when ice formation is unavoidable but here’s a tip for something to minimize those times: use a broom! Might sound weird at first but you’d be surprised how well it works. Most people only use a shovel to clear snow and might put down salt/de-icer for ice. However, a broom is a great additional tool. Use it after you shovel to get that last small amount of snow your shovel can’t get. That way, you can avoid that thin layer of snow turning to ice when people step on it and it becomes compacted. (I have one broom I use for outdoors and a separate one I use for indoors/cleaning).
I lived in the Colorado high country for 12 years & used a broom most of the time for snow removal. It leaves a dry sidewalk if it is powder. The locals thought i was dumb the first time they saw me using a broom. After awhile, they asked if I could sweep theirs too. Obviously, it does not work with wet snow, sleet or ice.
@@wayneanderson8034 Hope you did not get sucked into doing it for them after that. Clearly they never removed snow before since just expecting others to do it for them clearly they are the crazy lazy ones had no right to judge someone on something they to stupid and lazy to do themselves
The City I live in Va did that to residents who hadn't cleared the sidewalks in front of their homes. Until the city was reminded that that THEY had not cleared the sidewalks owned by the city and was asked who was going to fine them for not complying.. They stopped sending out notices..
they know how to charge this guy for minor infractions, but the criminals that steal and cause havoc, they have no clue how to deal with it, and its a slap on the wrist when caught. good job MN 🤦♂
City employees are already paid by the citizens to take care of city infrastructure. Since cities claim right of way for sidewalks, clearing them is the city's responsibility.
How do you seize someone's home and have them committed? You begin with a snow covered sidewalk. The resident the home you wish to acquire is 74 yrs old. The elderly resident of the home is physically unable to shovel the side walk and unable to hire someone to do it. The first fine is administered. It's huge and of course, the elderly resident on a fixed income is unable to pay. The fine accumulates in interests quarterly. The snow is long gone but the fine remains. As we move to the following winter, the first foreclosure notice appears. Can you see where this is going?
IT'S IN THE BILL OF RIGHTS, GOVERNMENT CAN'T MANDATE ORDERS TO WORK ON PROPERTY YOU DON'T OWN, (SIDEWALKS ARE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, THAT'S GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY,) WITHOUT COMPENSATION GET PROPER LEGAL REPS & SUE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS! !
This is illegal as it gets. That sidewalk does not belong to the homeowner nor can the homeowner do with the sidewalk as they please. The sidewalk is the property of the city. This is basically forced free labor on homeowners just because it’s close to their home. This has no legal standing and should be taken to court. With this train of thought you could make citizens clean any city owned property or vehicles using forced free labor. The bottom line is that the sidewalk is city property not homeowner property.
So let me get this straight... The sidewalk is public property until it comes time to shovel?! Anyone can be on that piece of property, and public, until winter. What a bunch of crap.
My "ST PAUL street is like a bomb riddled road in Afghanistan. I can honestly know this as I have traveled in Afghanistan. The city DOES NOT plow my street until days after it snows then it is too late. Mounds of frozen snow and the streets around mine are solid bricks of ice as smooth as marble, making it Impossible to cross the streets without falling. I have had to take Ubers for months as it is impossible to cross any streets for me to walk to the bus stop to get to work. So the City is costing me financial woes. Ubers every day!!!! Not only that, my street is a school bus route and they still do not clean it until days after it snows. OH we are all expected to have Impeccably cleaned sidewalks. That is impossible with rain freezing mixed with snow then 20 below then melting and re-freezing Non stop sidewalk cleaning for residents, that is what the city expects. Decently cleared sidewalks should suffice, like the man's in the news video here. It is adequate but not by the incompetent city of st paul!!! Impossible for homeowners to clean every speck of ICE while the city is the worst at keeping the streets navigable!!!! Ghetto city of St Paul charges homeowners yearly STREET MAINTENCE FEES!!! For What???!!! they do nothing What a joke
Remembering when there were a lot less people in America and the city government was a lot smaller and they didn't micromanage every citizen. I remember in areas outside of the actual cities that you could do anything and we have how you wanted with no permits you could clear an acre of land and build a house with no permits and no one bothered you and they literally never ever came from the city or the County Government The first time they showed up was in 2003 Houses that were built in the 50s received notices on the doors that they were built illegally and they had court dates I really really really miss the old days When there was only 50 families where there's now 50,000 people we never had any problems
I'm guessing ALL of those 50s homes citations were dismissed since the statue of limitations had long expired. Furthermore, they were built in a time where no permits were needed.
Amazing!!! I can’t believe people ACTUALLY complain about snow on the sidewalk. It certainly looks cleared to me. I’ll bet the city jumps on clearing snow and putting down sand however. Extra money! Cha Ching ! Just don’t expect the same response when a water line breaks.
The 13th amendment says: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. If the sidewalk isn't on the homeowner's property they can't be forced to maintain it.
This would be servitude. The govt demands unrewarded labor and punishes refusal to enslaved to the govt. He had no choice in the sidewalk, he had no choice in the labor and he goes unrewarded for his work in maintaining city property. Color Of Law. His freedom, free choice and right to be rewarded for his labor are being violated. His enslavement is being demanded and right to refuse a contract eliminated.
I am the type of guy that would be fine with clearing off the sidewalk and throwing it all back in the streets . I would make it clear how the City snow-plows put the snow on the side walk. I would also point out if I have to by law keep the side walk clean then I must own it there for the City does not own it and I can post a no trespassing on my side walk . I would also point out I did not pay to have that side walk put on my land . Funny how they have no problems sucking every tax dollar out of people for many different reasons yet they can't keep the roads and streets nice . next they will make people pay for permits to have a yard sale .
@@marlene7969 Lmao if I was you I would move out of that City . That is showing you just how Corrupt they are willing to be to get every penny they can off the people in that City or Town.
I have had to report office BUILDINGS in downtown st paul There sidewalks like skating rinks and their parking lot as well. I had to walk out in the street. One of these building is even a city workers building. UNREAL!!!!
You have to get involved or voted into your local city counsel. If not don't be surprised when bylaws benefit only apartment dwellers who don't even own shovels.
I'm in Canada, here sidewalks are city responsibility. That sidewalk looks absolutely perfect to me. The resident is 100% right when saying leaving snow help with the grip. In facts all our sidewalks looks like that where I live during winter and it's perfectly safe. This is city harassment plain and simple.
Should we charge the city for not removing snow off the roads in a timely manner?
Great big ditto to your comment.
@Beth Jim We should all contact the city offices and point out this fact
it probably going to be the other way around...they going to charge more property tax to remove snow off public roads..just like how the people of the city paying for rich people over budget stadium and we can't even go in for free even though we paid for it
Very well said!
Or when the plows throw the shit back in your driveway and sidewalks
If the city can’t get the snow off the streets then don’t go after people shoveling the sidewalks
It sounds like a racket that moves in a circle, getting the revenue to clear the streets from bullshit penalties to home owners who can't clear their sidewalks. Pretty damn sure they overcharge the hell out of it.
Then when they do plow the streets it gets shoved onto the sidewalks and your driveway. Then they fine you again!
Maybe the person who complained can help
On our street only one side has a sidewalk and our property is the first with the largest portion. It’s not our property (as in sidewalks are city property) and no one ever bothered to help. At this point I couldn’t give a rats ass. Everyone wants to take but never pitch-in.
Its america. Who the hell walks?
@@thedude5040 people not quite obese enough for rascals
He is absolutely correct about leaving a layer of hardpack snow for extra grip. Better than shoveling all the snow off and leaving a giant sheet of ice.
Except that the snow he leaves will create more ice layer. It's a catch 22. These temps make the salt useless too :/
Ice keeps you on your toes.
So they want him to somehow clear the snow to the concrete? This is the double standard that pisses me off in thus state. The plows will leave 6ft ice walls in front of your driveway pack snow so tight that even a plow would have difficulty moving. Yet you complain about any of that your unminnesotan yet the city does it and it's called a fine. When it's so cold calcium chloride won't melt it nothing will help until Temps dip well above zero again here. Which they will not until this coming Saturday and Sunday.
@@azrielmateria8050 I agree wholeheartedly!
@@azrielmateria8050 Perfect comment!
Another city to add to my list of places I would never go.
A couple years ago the city I live in started fining people for their sidewalks not being cleared so I spent 4 hours driving around to all the places the city should be clearing the sidewalks and reported them. A few days latter at the city meeting I raised cane about the unfair treatment and the stopped fining people for it.
You are a bloody legend 👊✌️
“St. Paul - Tough on snow, easy on looters!”
LMAO
Gotta love democrats……nickel and dime you to death……
What happens if you're out of town? What if you clear "your" sidewalk and a city plow shoves snow from the road back on to the sidewalk? If someone falls and gets injured is it now the responsibility of the nearest homeowner? This ridiculous city ordinance has created some huge legal grey areas.
Yep. Always easy to spot those ordinances that exist to make money more than make sense.
When the village plow came by and plowed snow from the road all across the end of my driveway, I just got my snowblower and blew the snow back onto the road.
If you are out of town you need to get a friend or relative to shovel while you are away or hire someone to do it. It’s been that way in Minneapolis for many years.
@@mase7557 And if somebody wrecks out because of the snow back in the road they and the city will come after you.
Complete BS, honestly, that they can dump the shit in your driveway and not get fined, but you get bent over a rail when you clear your property - or sidewalk - by moving the snow back where it came from.
I do snow removal part time & the city throws piles of snow onto clean sidewalks as they are removing the huge piles of snow after snow fall
Everytime the city doesn't have the streets cleaned up within 24 hrs the residents should get some of their tax money returned.
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should
The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
I find it a bit crazy that the CITY OWNED sidewalk is the homeowners responsibility to maintain in the winter.
If the city did it, taxes would drastically go up. As a Michigander, I'd rather do it myself.
@@johncooper7663 Taxes wouldn't "drastically" go up. We're not talking about free health care here.
@@greg2142 There's probably 80 plus miles of sidewalk in my 2 mile by 4 mile hometown. Do the math on the labor. 2 or more snow events every week from mid December to early march. Most city workforce is union.
Also maintain any grass strip between sidewalk and street is the adjacent landowners responsibility.
So happy I live rural/suburbs nowdays.
Welcome to the real world. The city mandated sidewalks be installed in developments and along streets, but the adjacent property owners are responsible for keeping them clear. Been that way for generations.
And if the city does not impose fines for not clearing the sidewalk then if/when someone falls and gets hurt the city as well as the property owner are named in the lawsuit. If the city enforces then they are not named. Same way if someone gets hurt due to an OSHA violation. If the company has no record of enforcement then the company allows violations.
Here in Michigan we won a case that shows the sidewalk is public property therefore its the responsibility of the local public works to maintain it, not homeowners.
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should
The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
In Ny where I am if it’s to ridiculous the town brings a bobcat. Minnesota gets a shit ton of snow how are they treating the residents like that. Cough cough money.
I grew up in Minneapolis and my dad was always shoveling the walk. Now we live in a small town and they don't enforce sidewalk shoveling here. We still do shovel our walk but our neighbors do not. It is unfair to fine elderly or disabled people because they are unable to shovel their sidewalk! Thank goodness for people who offer to help.
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should
The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
No one walks during or after snowstorms where I live. So what's the point? The point is, government can extract money from you because we've given them authority to do so.
I moved to rural county and couldn't be happier.
No sidewalks and lawn to mow. No politicians and hoa fining me.
Shush don't let our secret out..
Some people enjoy cell phone signals, access to stores on foot, and neighbors that dont burn crosses
@@norml.hugh-mann Yeah there mostly peaceful protests are up to what 4 Bill $ in damages??
The keys are in the ignition and the house is unlocked here..
@@norml.hugh-mann Sounds like you're intentionally misinformed.
when it snows it's homeowners side walk..but when city come tears it up it's public/ city side walk....lmao
Thank you !! That's BS!
Hey at least they rip it up and replace it for free and that not your responsibility as well
TRUE. who owns it? the city or the people?
@@timothylane7672 there aint no free lunch, the people paid for it via property taxes.
@@rogermorris-zd4dp the city.
The sidewalk is city property.
They are part of the city right-of-way, but it appears the city has codified that the city is responsible for repairs, but the owners of the adjacent property are responsible for upkeep and care (such as removing ice and snow).
@@pat_in_va8605 yeah and that's a complete BS law written by somebody with rosy colored visions of nice young families with small kids where shoveling is not an issue. The actual reality is far different, and this sad and pathetic law forces disabled people to try to do chores they simply are not safe to attempt on any level... the fact that there is not a complete exception for people with limited mobility (i.e. don't need to jump hoops to be "official") to just tell the city they will be responsible for your sidewalk is pathetic on all levels. We have communities to invest in things where "economies of scale" kick in - such a street plowing and so sidewalk plowing should be no different at all.
If the city asserts they need to be clear, it is FULLY on them to do so... one of the main reasons I would never consider living in St Paul proper, because they don't realize that stupid laws like this keep people from even _considering_ living there. They're so far out of touch it's sad - and this is not a left vs right thing, it's just a bunch of old fuddie duddies too used to smelling each others' farts to notice how out of the times the rules have become. The ADA has been a thing for a long time now - yet they still dare to act like we all are personally responsible to shovel... erm. no!!!
The person who went to complain should help this elderly man shovel the snow. People don't have work to do, they just love to complain. Stop complaining and be part of the solution.
Amen
People dont like solutions only complainning
not if youre on that sweet libby EBT program, then youre all set with unlimited amount of time to be a Karen in the neighborhood 😄
Can the home owner fence off that part of the sidewalk so no one can use it? If not then the home owner doesn't own it. Why are they responsible for something they don't own?
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should
The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
My thoughts exactly
This strikes me as a scam. The City officials know full well that the homeowners don't own, nor are they responsible for the sidewalk maintenance. They're issuing these finds in full knowledge of their illegality, banking on people not having the resources or the know-how to fight them.
He needs to setup a toll gate for users of his sidewalk after all he maintained it.
Yet the streets are horrible
If it's the homeowners responsibility than the homeowner should be able to tear it out at any time and return the concrete to the public works department that left it there.
I've had 2 heart attacks. Fine me all you want, not gonna pay it. You want the walkway cleared. You shovel it, still not gonna pay it. Not going to risk my life, when the city won't help. They've told me I'm not old enough nor am I disabled enough to qualify for help.
Sadly, they'll add it to your property taxes, & if you don't pay, they can eventually seize your property.
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should
The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
Pretty sure they are counting on people dying trying to clear the snow slipping on it so they can seize their home and sell it.
@@basillah7650 We all knew when we chose to live here that keeping our neighborhood sidewalks clear was our responsibility. What we pay in taxes here in St. Paul would be much higher if the sidewalks in neighborhoods were included. They would need to at least quadruple the street maintenance workforce to accomplish the task. The bigger the government the smaller the citizens.
TIME TO MOVE
Maybe the person with so much times in their hand to make such report can help their neighbors shovel the snow.
If it isn't property taxes the city will always find ways to rip you off.
Great reason to move out of the swamp
Never underestimate how low and greedy a city gvt will get..
It's nice to hear that there are still some real Minnesotans left.
personally i think whoever came up with making the homeowner responsible for the sidewalks is a A hole. this is just a form of a money grab .
Get a land survey as many of the sidewalks are not on your property. Nothing in your deed says you have clear the sidewalks if not on your property. This happened to a friend of mine, did a survey and his lot line ended at the sidewalk facing his home. Citation thrown out.
Wow! I've lived in Bemidji, Minnesota
for 24 years and never heard of
homeowners being required to clear
the city sidewalks. The city owns a ten foot
strip along each side of the street I live on but
there's no sidewalk. By the way Saint Paul is
a dismal place (but not as bad as Minneapolis).
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should
The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
Sidewalks are Federal Property not State. The State is Required to Maintain Federal Property... Says my Lawyer in St.Paul
Wcco should pin this comment or run a whole new story if you're right lol
Yea who's your lawyer, Saul goodman?
Let us know how Melvin feels about that.
You might need to reconsider having that attorney. The sidewalks are not federal property. They fall within the city right-of-way, with the city responsible for repairs while owners of adjacent property (to the sidewalk) are responsible for its care and upkeep (such as keeping it clear of snow/ice).
LOL, that oh so fine usa education is showing!
Never live in a corner house in Mlps/St.Paul.
In any town for that matter.
Facts
So many people don't even think about that
I’m not from a place that snows, why is that?
That’s ridiculous. I lived in St. Paul for a few years. The first year I lived downtown there was a big snowstorm. The cleaned it up promptly. But the next time there was a big snowfall, they just left it piled up between the sidewalk and the street. Pedestrians had to climb over it because there weren’t paths cleared at the corners. They must have spent all their snow removal money on the previous blizzard.
My recollection is that people in St. Paul were in good humor during snow season. People helped each other to get through it. Turning in your neighbors seems contrary to the community spirit I remember.
There is no community spirit anymore, anywhere.
city is driving around no one called
They should all sue the city/town for not clearing their sidewalk for them since they pay tax and clearly not used for upkeep like it should
The sidewalk is NOT your property you have no rights to it e.g can be fined for parking your car on it blocking it because you don't own it.
Do the homeowners pay taxes on that land? Can they do what they want with that land? Do the homeowners pay taxes to the town to maintain public infratructure? The town should buy a couple of tractor/snowblowers and hire a few people to clear the sidewalks, just like they do in my town. I live in western Maine...no stranger to snow.
You're absolutely right! Grew up in Southern Maine and now live in New Hampshire. Most cities around here have a sidewalk plow/snowblower to maintain the public sections.
If the city owns the side walk, it is the city's responsibility no matter the ordinance!
I had a corner lot in a city in MI and they used to cite/fine people for this. The next house I bought was in a very small city in MI, and they plowed the sidewalks (cost was included in our property tax). The next house I bought, in Northern MI, when I retired, was rural acreage and no sidewalks!
The law doesn't consider the elderly and disabled. Clearing sidewalks can be as critical as clearing the streets, so it should be done by the city.
My city, when I grew up, had sidewalk snowplows!
You have to keep the sidewalk clear? Is that before or after the salt truck buries the sidewalk as they plow the road? Rhetorical question.
👍👍👍
AWESOME JOB GUYS!! Thank you for helping the community.
Sidewalks are usually the property of the city. So how can the city hold property owners responsible for snow removal?
Sounds like the city council is over zealous seeing dollar signs, that city should see who's footing the bill for each counsel members snow removal or if they are giving themselves a free pass
Why don't they sue God for sending the snow?
The city of St Paul should be deeply ashamed of themselves.
Pro Tip: there are times when ice formation is unavoidable but here’s a tip for something to minimize those times: use a broom! Might sound weird at first but you’d be surprised how well it works. Most people only use a shovel to clear snow and might put down salt/de-icer for ice. However, a broom is a great additional tool. Use it after you shovel to get that last small amount of snow your shovel can’t get. That way, you can avoid that thin layer of snow turning to ice when people step on it and it becomes compacted. (I have one broom I use for outdoors and a separate one I use for indoors/cleaning).
I lived in the Colorado high country for 12 years & used a broom most of the time for snow removal. It leaves a dry sidewalk if it is powder. The locals thought i was dumb the first time they saw me using a broom. After awhile, they asked if I could sweep theirs too. Obviously, it does not work with wet snow, sleet or ice.
@@wayneanderson8034 Hope you did not get sucked into doing it for them after that.
Clearly they never removed snow before since just expecting others to do it for them clearly they are the crazy lazy ones had no right to judge someone on something they to stupid and lazy to do themselves
meanwhile mr beast cures 1,000 people of blindness ... who are we paying taxes to again ?
The City I live in Va did that to residents who hadn't cleared the sidewalks in front of their homes. Until the city was reminded that that THEY had not cleared the sidewalks owned by the city and was asked who was going to fine them for not complying.. They stopped sending out notices..
this is why i live in orlando. f this crap
The city should be doing this.
they know how to charge this guy for minor infractions, but the criminals that steal and cause havoc, they have no clue how to deal with it, and its a slap on the wrist when caught. good job MN 🤦♂
Low lying fruit.
The streets in st.paul feel like you're off road but they are towing folks and giving fines for sidewalk SMH
They have a nice little racket going. The city should be ashamed.
You elected your local government, you get what you deserve.
What the crap? How about St Paul heeds their own laws and actually plows their streets! That place is a mess
Unbelievable that such absurd rules exist in a modern city.
But yet you could pitch a tent anywhere on that street and set up a homeless camp, no fines.
Take the city to court. Sidewalks are city's property
City employees are already paid by the citizens to take care of city infrastructure. Since cities claim right of way for sidewalks, clearing them is the city's responsibility.
Minnesota you pay taxes, the City should clean the sidewalk.
Where are all the kids in this neighborhood? Perfect opportunity to make $.
How do you seize someone's home and have them committed? You begin with a snow covered sidewalk. The resident the home you wish to acquire is 74 yrs old. The elderly resident of the home is physically unable to shovel the side walk and unable to hire someone to do it. The first fine is administered. It's huge and of course, the elderly resident on a fixed income is unable to pay. The fine accumulates in interests quarterly. The snow is long gone but the fine remains. As we move to the following winter, the first foreclosure notice appears. Can you see where this is going?
The side walk should be fenced into his property , the complainer can complain in the street
The city should be ashamed.
The city leaves a hard pack on the roads if they even plow at all .
IT'S IN THE BILL OF RIGHTS, GOVERNMENT CAN'T MANDATE ORDERS TO WORK ON PROPERTY YOU DON'T OWN, (SIDEWALKS ARE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, THAT'S GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY,) WITHOUT COMPENSATION
GET PROPER LEGAL REPS & SUE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS! !
This is illegal as it gets. That sidewalk does not belong to the homeowner nor can the homeowner do with the sidewalk as they please. The sidewalk is the property of the city. This is basically forced free labor on homeowners just because it’s close to their home. This has no legal standing and should be taken to court. With this train of thought you could make citizens clean any city owned property or vehicles using forced free labor. The bottom line is that the sidewalk is city property not homeowner property.
So why doesn’t the city clean the streets
The sidewalk is not my property........I am only responsible for my own property
St Paul has to be the worst medium sized city in America. Ugh
Isn't the sidewalk city property?
You get what YOU vote for!!!
The city owns the sidewalks, so therefore it is the responsibility of the city clear them off not the home owners.
So let me get this straight...
The sidewalk is public property until it comes time to shovel?!
Anyone can be on that piece of property, and public, until winter. What a bunch of crap.
Elect people who won't punish citizens for the weather. Demand the right in a free society to face your accusers.
Why is the city not plowing or snowblowing the sidewalks? There are thousands of elderly people that cannot shovel their sidewalks
Vote out politicians that support fines, starting with mayor.
Send the city council out there with shovels if they're not satisfied.
How did they ever end up with such a criminal government?
The same way the rest of us did. We voted them in or didn't vote and let someone else vote them in.
If they say what chemicals you cannot use then it's there responsibility for clearing it to the pavement.
Load the snow in dump trailers and dump it in the driveways of city councilors that penalize their citizens like this.
$160 per hour to remove snow!.........Sign me up..... I'll come out of retirement!
The sidewalk is public property. Why the hell is a resident responsible for it?
Minnesota government: Here to SERVE the people. (Citations and fines). Winter of love.
My town is terrible for this. They issue tickets during storms and after town plows come by and push the snow back onto the sidewalls.
This is ridiculous. Especially for older people. A lot of times they will have a heart attack if they shovel too hard too fast!
My "ST PAUL street is like a bomb riddled road in Afghanistan. I can honestly know this as I have traveled in Afghanistan. The city DOES NOT plow my street until days after it snows then it is too late. Mounds of frozen snow and the streets around mine are solid bricks of ice as smooth as marble, making it Impossible to cross the streets without falling. I have had to take Ubers for months as it is impossible to cross any streets for me to walk to the bus stop to get to work. So the City is costing me financial woes. Ubers every day!!!! Not only that, my street is a school bus route and they still do not clean it until days after it snows. OH we are all expected to have Impeccably cleaned sidewalks. That is impossible with rain freezing mixed with snow then 20 below then melting and re-freezing Non stop sidewalk cleaning for residents, that is what the city expects. Decently cleared sidewalks should suffice, like the man's in the news video here. It is adequate but not by the incompetent city of st paul!!! Impossible for homeowners to clean every speck of ICE while the city is the worst at keeping the streets navigable!!!! Ghetto city of St Paul charges homeowners yearly STREET MAINTENCE FEES!!! For What???!!! they do nothing What a joke
Remembering when there were a lot less people in America and the city government was a lot smaller and they didn't micromanage every citizen.
I remember in areas outside of the actual cities that you could do anything and we have how you wanted with no permits you could clear an acre of land and build a house with no permits and no one bothered you and they literally never ever came from the city or the County Government
The first time they showed up was in 2003
Houses that were built in the 50s received notices on the doors that they were built illegally and they had court dates
I really really really miss the old days
When there was only 50 families where there's now 50,000 people we never had any problems
I'm guessing ALL of those 50s homes citations were dismissed since the statue of limitations had long expired. Furthermore, they were built in a time where no permits were needed.
Amazing!!! I can’t believe people ACTUALLY complain about snow on the sidewalk. It certainly looks cleared to me. I’ll bet the city jumps on clearing snow and putting down sand however. Extra money! Cha Ching ! Just don’t expect the same response when a water line breaks.
The 13th amendment says: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. If the sidewalk isn't on the homeowner's property they can't be forced to maintain it.
This would be servitude. The govt demands unrewarded labor and punishes refusal to enslaved to the govt. He had no choice in the sidewalk, he had no choice in the labor and he goes unrewarded for his work in maintaining city property. Color Of Law. His freedom, free choice and right to be rewarded for his labor are being violated. His enslavement is being demanded and right to refuse a contract eliminated.
Government is the gun you play Russian Roulette with.
I am the type of guy that would be fine with clearing off the sidewalk and throwing it all back in the streets . I would make it clear how the City snow-plows put the snow on the side walk. I would also point out if I have to by law keep the side walk clean then I must own it there for the City does not own it and I can post a no trespassing on my side walk . I would also point out I did not pay to have that side walk put on my land . Funny how they have no problems sucking every tax dollar out of people for many different reasons yet they can't keep the roads and streets nice . next they will make people pay for permits to have a yard sale .
All part of the messed up plan to nickel and dime us until we can't afford to own anything.
My city DOES require you to pay for a permit to have a yard sale…
@@marlene7969 Lmao if I was you I would move out of that City . That is showing you just how Corrupt they are willing to be to get every penny they can off the people in that City or Town.
I use shoe cleats it doesn't matter to me. I rather want sidewalks not to be cleared.
Just another form of taxation.
The city should sent people out to investigate complaints, what he said about leaving some snow to provide grip is absolutely right.
soooooo legally THEY own that portion of the sidewalk..... watch out Karens
Minnesota right behind California for best state govt
Another reason to not live in that cesspool
Another example of useless government overreach and fees !! The citizens need to vote this out !!
I have had to report office BUILDINGS in downtown st paul There sidewalks like skating rinks and their parking lot as well. I had to walk out in the street. One of these building is even a city workers building. UNREAL!!!!
You have to get involved or voted into your local city counsel. If not don't be surprised when bylaws benefit only apartment dwellers who don't even own shovels.
I'm in Canada, here sidewalks are city responsibility. That sidewalk looks absolutely perfect to me. The resident is 100% right when saying leaving snow help with the grip. In facts all our sidewalks looks like that where I live during winter and it's perfectly safe. This is city harassment plain and simple.