Millcreek Township’s ordinance requires that businesses and property owners clear their sidewalks of snow within 24 hours of significant snowfall (Erie’s is substantially the same) and provides for fines of $300 per day for every day the property owner is in violation of the law. Local officials say that they do not expect that the sidewalk will be cleared of all snow but they do expect that property owners will make their sidewalks reasonably safe for pedestrians.
The issue came to a head recently when a group of business owners on West 12th Street near Peninsula Avenue complained to Millcreek Township officials that some of their neighbors were neglecting their responsibilities. As a result, pedestrians were forced to walk on busy 12th Street or risk the hazards of piled snow on the sidewalk.
Millcreek Township will accept complaints about irresponsible Erie County property owners who fail to remove snow and ice from sidewalks. To file a complaint, go to the Millcreek Township Zoning Office (2nd Floor of the Municipal Building at 3808 West 26th Street) and fill out a form with the address of the property with the dangerous sidewalk.
Nobody wants to see property owners fined over neglecting a snow shoveling chore but the hazard created by the failure to remove snow and ice is real. Slip and fall injuries can be severe, particularly for older residents and the risks of walking on busy winter streets are extreme.
For more information, see our article about snow and ice related slip and fall injuries. The Erie slip and fall lawyers at Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C., P.C. have experience with cases in which people have been seriously injured as a result of a dangerous snow or ice condition. Our primary goal and objective is to make sure our clients and their families receive the compensation and resources they need to treat and manage their injury and to compensate them for their losses.
Call Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. today, locally at 814-273-2010 or toll free 814-273-2010 to schedule your free and confidential consultation with an Erie trip and fall lawyer.