Awesome! The cops won't come for a murder but I can force the owner of the property in front of a hazardous sidewalk to fix it. At least I get something from the government.

I've tripped on sidewalks downtown countless times. They really are in awful condition, you have to watch your every step.

I have some phone calls to make...

Quote:
If it is the tree uprooting the sidewalk then call the Division of Parks & Forestry in the J.C. Dept. of Public Works. (201) 547-4449 The city will be responsible to shave the roots just as they trim the trees. But the home owner must reserve 3 days out of their time. On day 1 the home owner must remove the sidewalk area covering the unleveled area to expose the roots. On day 2 the city moves in and shaves the roots. On day 3 the home owner replaces the sidewalk area.

I had a blind friend visiting for 9 months completing a school program, and on our walks from Wayne Street and Varick to PathMark, he more than stumbled on the sidewalks. Taking a grocery cart is impossible, and I must walk on the street itself (and I am not visually impaired). I realize trees do grow, but holey-moley, can't something be done about the sidewalks on Varick? Just fantasizing...

It probably could have been a city official that noticed your walk wasn't up to code. They might have created a paper trail by writing a work order and conveyed it to the proper city agency assigned to the jurisdiction of handling that code.

I was in the same boat back in February 08. My insurance company sent out an inspector to take some pictures of my property. They wanted me to fix the cracks in my driveway and sidewalk using a licensed contractor. They did not want a patch job. The sidewalk had cracks and it was patched but it was NOT A TRIPPING HAZARD. I was going to pour a new sidewalk and driveway in the summer of 08 but the insurance company gave me 30 days to do the work. After hiring a contractor and a crew they did the work during the winter and they finished at the beginning of March.
Make sure that you get the Construction Permit from the Building Dept? on 30 Montgomery St (4th floor). Also if you have to close the sidewalk during the repair you need a sidewalk\traffic permit (575 Rt 440). You also will need a dumpster permit from the JCPA 394 Central Ave.
For me to do the 25?X38?X6" slab it cost $9300 including permits. It will cost you less seeing how I have a two car driveway.

Quote:

Maybe someone fell already and that caused the notice to be left - I'd check. I assume your "neighbors on either side (who) have large stone blocks rising out of the ground posing bigger hazards" didn't get violation notices, correct? If I were you I'd take pictures of your sidewalk and your neighbors and talk to the city - maybe the person who wrote up the violation failed to see where the property lines really were. There is nothing much you can do to fix the problem if it isn't your cement that is pushed up by tree roots. (BTW I assume there is a tree out front - am I wrong? And who's property is the tree on?)

If it is a tree there are some things you can do to stop the roots from pushing up the sidewalks - but it gets pretty hard with mature trees and can risk the tree's health - namely it means cutting the root(s) that are doing the sidewalk raising.

yes its more probably than a grudge holding neighbor and it might be a random official. am trying not to be paranoid about a neighbor complaining about it. but since that is a possibility, was just thinking about what happened.

not that i am going to get into a 'war' with this neighbor, but will be more careful about what i keep in my yard from now on....

not a full keg...but a big can (not the 12 oz size) that hit a set of lamps (ikea style ones) on the table and then hit a set of plants (bulbs) against the side wall and hit 1 solar lamp.

the reason i made it a point to tell the owner was not due to the plants and the lamps (least of my worries)....we often use the backyard and have kids running around and a can like this at another time might have caused more damage and wanted to tell the owner to warn the partygoers against such future immature behavior.

Hi again. I know I suggested that it might be a neighbor but at the same time I don't think you should jump to conclusions. It may have been a random official who needed to make a quota or something. It doesn't hurt to ask someone in the city council how the process for citations works...

Was it a full keg that got thrown?

Hard to believe 1 can could "destroy a couple of plants and lamps".

my neighbors to my immediate left and right are great and we have a good relationship. there is one beyond that who might be holding a grudge - they had a party a couple of weekends ago that was quite loud at night (although I had no problem with that since i actually couldnt hear it once i went to bed)...but next morning i found a fully loaded beer can in my backyard that destroyed a couple of plants and lamps. which i made a point of letting the owner know in the nicest possible way that it was not acceptable for their guests to be throwing beer cans into other people's yard. obviously the owner didnt take it "well". so that might have done it....although i would have not a big deal of it, but who knows when people's egos get pricked.
the owner is pretty well connected in the community from what i hear....

Pretty scary what happened to you. I wonder why you're being singled out when your neighbor's place is worse....Have you had any arguments with the neighbors? You never know if you make the wrong person angry and they have town hall connections...
The sidewalk where I used to live was unbelievably dangerous--a piece of cement sticking up about 7 inches higher than the rest--and right in the center of the sidewalk. I'm amazed that no one has falled and sued there. That's the place they should be focusing on. It's probably a couple thousand to have the sidewalk fixed...

hello

i received a violation notice yday from the city that quotes "254-43B(1) - repair sidewalk(walkway)/tripping hazard"

the sidewalk outside my property is actually pretty flat and there are some cracks close to the road, but nothing that would trip anyone. my neighbors on either side have large stone block rising out of the ground that would pose a bigger hazard...

so,
- have others been getting such notices?
- what is the procedure for this (having never owned property before i am learning all the joys of home ownership now!)
- how much does repair/replace a sidewalk typically cost - it would be a 12ft wide section of the sidewalk

thanks in advance