Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Posts
    3

    Default Plowing Snow Into the Street or Onto Someone Else's Property

    My question involves real estate located in the State of: Connecticut

    I am looking for the law(s) that govern snow removal from private property. Specifically owners (or their contractors) that push snow into the public streets and/or other peoples property.

    It seems in other states, from the forum, it may be vandalism or trespassing to push/deposit snow on your neighbors property, but it is unclear. I was under the impression it is actually illegal to take snow from your property and put it on the public street and I would assume the same would apply for your neighbors property too.

    Any help you be great, I would like a reference (law?) number to reference if possible.

    Thank you.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    24,521

    Default Re: Connecticut Snow Plow Law

    I don't know the answer but realistically, where do you expect the snow to go?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Posts
    16,474

    Default Re: Connecticut Snow Plow Law

    This is totally a hijack, but I saw something very strange last week. Our office an anchor for a very large strip mall...huge parking lot. We had huge snow piles from the large storm earlier in January. There were two bobcats in the parking lot last week digging up the piles of snow and putting them into six huge trucks. The trucks then went somewhere and dumped the snow, but it couldn't have been far away, because they were back in less than 5 minutes. Someone else in the center told me they saw them dumping the snow in the drainage ditch...I wondered myself if that was legal.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    38,867

    Default Re: Connecticut Snow Plow Law

    Where does one expect a private plow company plowing the neighbors drive to put the snow?

    i don't care as long as it is not on my propert or into the road where it is a hazard. Yes, a lot of cities truck their snow to a disposal area. The only issue I would suspect regarding where it is dumped would be if there are contaminants in the snow (salt being a big issue). If such contaminants are present, it may very well be illegal to dump the snow where they are.
    o

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Connecticut Snow Plow Law

    I would expect them to push the snow into piles on the property that is started. I believe the same could be applied to leaves. (If someone, contractor or homeowner were to rake leaves from their property onto someone else's.

    The reference was not to snow drifts or natural causes. I was referring to someone manually or mechanically moving the snow into the road, or someone else's property.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    OH10
    Posts
    17,019

    Default Re: Connecticut Snow Plow Law

    I suggest you put up no trespassing signs and report the snow plow driver.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Connecticut Snow Plow Law

    Quote Quoting surfandsand
    View Post
    I am looking for the law(s) that govern snow removal from private property.
    Do you have specific facts in mind, or are you looking in the abstract? The facts and layout of the properties could affect the answer.
    Quote Quoting jk
    View Post
    If such contaminants are present, it may very well be illegal to dump the snow where they are.
    The question sounds, to me, like what private homeowners can do when they or their snow removal services plow their driveways. Virtually no one in that type of situation is going to be hauling the snow away to a different location. As llworking's example indicates, it's more likely to happen in a commercial setting where snow piles can become very large (and, in a number of ways, potentially dangerous) and where there's a larger budget for snow removal.

    Connecticut does impose a statutory restriction on the deposit of snow on highways by public service companies, but that's not going to apply to the type of situation we're discussing. I would expect that, when this type of situation arises, it's going to fall under standard laws against trespass, impeding traffic on a public highway, and the like. There are some differences at the margins, in that snow will eventually melt, while most other deposits (fill dirt, garbage, etc.) will typically remain in place until they are removed. But in terms of "I plowed my driveway, but left a snow berm on the public road that makes the road difficult to impossible for my neighbor to pass," "I plowed my driveway by pushing all of my snow across my neighbor's driveway", or similar actions, there's nothing particularly special about the fact that the impediment to travel is created by snow.

    In terms of a plowing company plowing out a driveway then pushing the snow back such that part or all of the resulting snow heap ends up on a neighboring property, or if the snow piles grow over the course of a winter or after a heavy snowfall to the point that they extend onto neighboring land, I expect that a court would express that to be part of suburban life in a snowy state.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Connecticut Snow Plow Law

    Mr. Knowitall,

    Thank you for your in depth answer. The situation I see alot, and was wondering about, was more specifically, plow companies plowing out a driveway by pushing the snow across the street onto another property. Most area's seam to have off set drives. Often the pile of snow is left partially on the town street too. As the city truck comes along, it pushes the snow from the created pile, off and down the road a bit, and into another driveway. Which is then needs to be plowed again, or dug out, if the snow fall was enough.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Westbend Community, near Winston-Salem.NC
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Connecticut Snow Plow Law

    Dear cbg,

    In response to your reply to surfandsand's inquiry, just yesterday I had the same situation occur (posted under Questor37s (forgot which forum)). The plow (private) operator owner had his operator plow a very long church (private property) driveway and dump 3-4 bucket loads onto the ROW and lawn of our property directly across from the driveway.) Plowing not only involves snow, which of course melts, but in this case gravel, broken asphalt pavement from the driveway and tree debris. When the municipal plows leave berms along the same area, I have no quarrel since they are public employees/employed doing the business of public safety, which like utilities, drainage ditches (we're rural) are the types of things the roadside ROW is covenanted for, not for private owners and their employees to dump their on. As for your question: where is that stuff supposed to go?, I can tell you that after two decades in northern New England the answer is -- on the OWNER'S PROPERTY, NOT THE NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY.
    I too have tried to research this in the general statutes and will continue to do so. Meanwhile, just a few hours after my post today I had replies supportive of my view with the recommendation to have the snow or debris field removed, then send the bill to the operator or church, and then sue if not reimbursed. Another suggestion was to get an order restraining further actions. I may look into this, especially snce the removal owner insists that the ROW is not my land. My understanding of ROWs, even those for public use, are still the landowner's property, although we agree as a matter of public obligation and need to allow the ROW. (I like electricity, for example). But any other easement of ROW can only be granted by the landowner for fee or free, but that easement only gives an identified party certain limited rights and beyond those rights, the easement can be revoked.

    Richard

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    OH10
    Posts
    17,019

    Default Re: Plowing Snow Into the Street or Onto Someone Else's Property

    Personally, I would talk to the minister and failing that hire a plow to push it back onto their drive.

    1. Sponsored Links
       

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Maintenance and Repair: Snow Plowing an Easement
    By sanford55 in forum Real Estate Ownership and Title
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 01-30-2013, 04:18 PM
  2. Maintenance and Repair: HOA Snow Plowing
    By Rockhound in forum Real Estate Ownership and Title
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 09-11-2012, 11:28 AM
  3. Towing: Towing Due to Snow Plowing in Apartment Complex with Parking Permits
    By sasanka in forum Moving Violations, Parking and Traffic Tickets
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 02-23-2011, 10:40 PM
  4. Preventing a Private Snow Plow Operator from Dumping Snow on My Property
    By TechHop in forum Real Estate Ownership and Title
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 01-11-2009, 11:52 AM
  5. Snow Plowing In Connecticut
    By harry@carlassociates.com in forum Real Estate Ownership and Title
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 12-24-2007, 07:39 PM
 
 
Sponsored Links

Legal Help, Information and Resources