Why don't local business owners shovel their sidewalks?

modsquad is correct. however, I walked on 5th avenue on saturday and most of the store fronts cleared the snow. I walked from 9st down to 1st.

It would be good business to clear the snow of course. Barring that without a specific law being broken it would be hard to prove blatant wrong doing. It's not that you couldn't collect damages, insurance cos. will not go to trial even if they are protected by the law. They know it's cheaper to settle. Even if you trip a dry sidewalk you should sue. Some lawyer will get you something for nothing.

modsquad wrote: The law gives you 24 hr. to clear the sidewalk from when the storm ends. Has the storm officially ended yet?

I think the city rule is actually FOUR hours after snowfall ends.
old NYT article about it, more detail

As to who can say when this storm ends and the next begins....
(/shrug)
but I was out there pushing slush around and making a canal to the gutter for all that ice water this morning and it totally pisses me off when commercial places don't do their part.

From the Administrative Code NYC. Yes, 4 hours appears to be the law these days but I will swear the snow stopped falling one minute after 9 pm.
§ 16–123 Removal of snow, ice and dirt from sidewalks; property owners' duties. a. Every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant, or other person, having charge of any building or lot of ground in the city, abutting upon any street where the sidewalk is paved, shall, within four hours after the snow ceases to fall, or after the deposit of any dirt or other material upon such sidewalk, remove the snow or ice, dirt, or other material from the sidewalk and gutter, the time between nine post meridian and seven ante meridian not being included in the above period of four hours. Such removal shall be made before the removal of snow or ice from the roadway by the commissioner or subject to the regulations of such commissioner. In the boroughs of Queens and Staten Island, any owner, lessee, tenant or occupant or other person who has charge of any ground abutting upon any paved street or public place, for a linear distance of five hundred feet or more, shall be considered to have complied with this section, if such person shall have begun to remove the snow or ice from the sidewalk and gutter before the expiration of such four hours and shall continue and complete such removal within a reasonable time.

Subject: Manhattan is a little better but...

While walking my dog, I broke my wrist (both bones) on a slippery, unshoveled sidewalk outside a cheapo clothing store at Broadway and Bond Street in 1991.

There's really no excuse for not shoveling your walk. If you're elderly or infirm, ask a neighbor. I've been shoveling my elderly neighbor's sidewalk for the past eight years. Same with neighbors who are out of town.

As a result of lazy home owners, apartment house owners and businesses not shoveling, the sidewalks are bloody *treacherous* tonight. All that snow melt today flash froze at sundown, in some places with a clear glare ice that looks like a dry sidewalk.

I walked the dogs in the street tonight rather than braved the black ice on the walks. Sure enough, I watched another dog owner take an embarrassing spill on the sidewalk when her little yapper tried to get alpha with my guys.

so many of the houses on our block didn't shovel-it was worse because of the ice run off. truly dangerous. and i know some of these yuppie homeowners, so I don't know what their excuse is!

My failure-to-shovel peeve of the morning -- the community garden at the corner of 5th and President. Isn't it the responsibility of the so-called "community" garden to shovel their sidewalk? If not, how about opening it to the public and calling it a park?

With the money crunch the city's in, I'm truly surprised the sanitation ticket writers aren't on the prowl. I'd welcome a sustained ticket blitz. This one time.

Another prime offender is the Armory - they *never* shovel along the 15th street side (and presumably ditto for the 14th street side).

(And don't even get me started on their garbage...)

How about the Southwest corner of Seventh Ave and Union? A vast sheet of ice on the sidewalk two days after the storm. I hope someone slips and sues the crap out of Brown Harris Stevens.

this really upsets me. i won't let certain relatives of mine venture out! i bring them groceries instead. I seriously don't understand how the yuppie homeowners can literally skate past their responsibilities. -bitterrenter.

The Chipster wrote: this really upsets me. i won't let certain relatives of mine venture out! i bring them groceries instead. I seriously don't understand how the yuppie homeowners can literally skate past their responsibilities. -bitterrenter.

On the block that I used to live, a few houses went unshoveled. Two houses were old-timers and one was just a useless asshole. The yuppies kept their sidewalks shoveled. Just sayin'

Walking anywhere in the the center slope this morning was a death-defying act - all black ice and irresponsible building owners - saw 2 people fall as they were attempting to walk their dogs. Totally f**king crazy!

I wonder if maybe some of the properties aren't cleared because the owners are out of town for the holidays.

i had to help pick up a woman who'd fallen on her own unshoveled steps. shithead landlord.

lots of blood on her hands. i wish i could have done it myself but i wasn't strong enough. so one of the shelter women, with a joint in her hand, helped me