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Clear sidewalks of snow or face fine in some Northeast Ohio cities

Clear sidewalks of snow or face fine
Posted at 10:54 AM, Jan 19, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-19 21:06:04-05

LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Many students are back in class today after having a day off so communities could dig out from the winter storm. But some sidewalks remain untouched, leading school districts like Akron and Cleveland to cancel school for a second day.

When sidewalks aren't cleared this can be a cause for concern for districts that have many students walking to school - like Lakewood. Uncleared sidewalks can pose a danger to students because oftentimes children will opt for walking in the roadways or other unsafe areas.

Many cities like Akron, Rocky River, Parma, Cleveland, Lakewood and others have ordinances, which require property owners to shovel within 24 hours of snowfall. However, landlords often put language in their rental agreements and leases holding the tenant responsible for snow removal.

In many cases, cities will issue a warning before allowing property owners a chance to correct it before issuing a violation. But the offender may have several days to correct the issue - thus allowing mother nature to melt the snow and take care of the problem.

In Lakewood, enforcement officers notified 126 residents' in 36 hours about clearing their sidewalk.

So some cities will choose to clear the sidewalk then charge the business a fee of up to $200, which can be more costly than the fine.

Sidewalk-clearing rules vary from city to city so make sure you check out what the law is where you live.

In addition to sidewalks, it's time to start digging your car out, too. If it's still snowed in on the streets of Lakewood, residents must move it to a public park or municipal lot due to the city's parking ban.

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