Who Owns the Sidewalks Across Your Property? Residents in Wakefield Are About to Find Out…
Wakefield – A the most recent meeting of the Wakefield Planning Commission, the question of who owns the sidewalks across private property came up. A homeowner has asked permission to remove the sidewalk on their property in order to replace them with grass. According to TheDailyGlobe, City Manager Robert Brown Jr. said that current code states that homeowners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalks on their property, but does not say anything about whether those sidewalks are required by law. Brown said that many of the sidewalks in town were first installed in the early 1900’s, so its unclear what the city’s responsibility is. He added that many municipalities have requirements for sidewalks. Brown asked the commission to create an ordinance that would clarify the matter.