What To Do About Neighbors Who Won’t Shovel Sidewalks? [Block Talk]

ACROSS AMERICA — A predicted strong El Niño winter could bring heavy snowfall to some parts of the country. As the snow piles up, so do tensions about neighbors who don’t shovel their walks or do so in a way that causes inconvenience for others.

Local ordinances typically spell out when snow should be removed after it stops falling. If a neighbor’s sidewalks haven’t been cleared by then, should you say something to the person, or alert local officials?

What about those neighbors who make a shovel-width pass and call it good? Or the person with whom you share a driveway who either doesn’t bother to shovel, or shovels the snow onto your side? Or the ones who shovel or blow their snow onto your property? Would you step in and shovel it yourself?

We’re asking for Block Talk, Patch’s exclusive neighborhood etiquette column. Just fill out the form below — and don’t worry, we won’t collect your email address.

About Block Talk

Block Talk is a regular Patch series on neighborhood etiquette — and readers provide the answers. If you have a topic you'd like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com with "Block Talk" as the subject line.

Catch up on Block Talk.