Sidewalks are of great importance in the US. It doesn’t matter what state you live in or what sort of property you have, sidewalk repairing remains a frequent need for every property owner. Despite, a property owner also has to ensure the pedestrian safety and reliability of the sidewalk. So that efficient usage of the sidewalk remains guaranteed.
Here are some of the interesting facts to know about sidewalk repair in the US.
Sidewalk Violation.
Sidewalk Violation is an official notice, issued by the Department of Transportation i.e. DOT in NYC. Issuance of this notice to a property owner means that his/her property’s sidewalk is defective and repairs need to be made. For which, a time duration of 75 days remains granted.
If renovation completes in this particular duration, DOT will dismiss the Sidewalk Violation. However, if repairs are not made, DOT will hire a sidewalk repair contractor on its own for the repair work but will bill the cost of repairs to the property owner.
Types of Sidewalk Defects.
The defects on a sidewalk can result due to;
1. Breakage caused by tree roots.
2. Wearing/missing of the sidewalk curbs.
3. Damages caused by a third party.
4. Weather impacts.
5. General wear and tear.
6. Crowded usage.
And the list continues. In short, a defective sidewalk can mean anything from small scale cracks and damages to large-scale concrete replacement needs.
Compensation provided by the City authorities.
If the damages occurred to your sidewalk are either due to;
• Tree roots.
or
• Sidewalk curbs.
DOT may or may not provide sufficient compensation for it. It all depends on the extent of damage inflicted and the locality in which you possess the property.
In short, if the criteria are met, DOT will contact the relevant authorities for their repair at no cost to you. Usually, for the problems caused by tree roots, the Department of Parks and Recreation provides instant repair services for all sorts of properties.
Contesting a Sidewalk Violation notice.
Sidewalk Violation notice can be contested on two bases;
1. Delivered to the wrong address.
If the Sidewalk violation notice gets delivered to the wrong address, a claim can be filed. For this reason, a property owner should first,
• Match the inspection report with its property’s sidewalk condition.
• Validate the width and other dimensions of the property with the ones mentioned in Notice.
• Check the trees, signs, utility caps, cellar doors or other features on the sidewalk to act as evidence for notice’s credibility.
2. Unmarked Defects.
If you get issued a sidewalk violation notice but the defects are not marked, you may request a re-inspection within 45 days of receiving your Notice of Violation.
One must keep in mind that DOT will only install or provide repair services for concrete sidewalk repair NYC. Therefore, if your sidewalk’s build is of granite, brick, slate, or some other non-concrete material; you must make arrangements to repair it privately.