The Borough of Hawthorne NJ REQUIRES all homeowners to fix their sidewalks! See below.
Chapter 444 Section 25 (ecode360.com)
“Every abutting owner, at his own cost and expense, shall at all times keep and maintain his sidewalk in good condition and state of repair and shall not permit the same to fall into a state of disrepair or to become unsafe or unfit to walk upon. In the event that any sidewalk or any part thereof becomes broken or in need of repair or the condition thereof becomes unsafe or hazardous to the public or unfit to walk upon, the abutting owner at his own cost and expense shall, with all expeditious speed, reconstruct or repair, as the case may require, such sidewalk or that part thereof which needs reconstruction or repair. Said improvement or work shall be done in accordance with the provisions of this article. All sidewalks constructed of solid concrete interlocking paving units shall be reconstructed or repaired only with solid concrete interlocking paving units in accord with the provisions of this article. In addition, all sidewalk areas intended for pedestrian passage shall be kept free from obstructions that would prevent or inhibit safe passage at all times.”
Sidewalk repair in addition to maintenance in the State of New Jersey is the responsibility of the abutting property proprietor. Thousands of house proprietors are not aware of this ordinance and they assume that their city or state is responsible for fixing defective sidewalks. In many cases, the house owner will employ contractors to make the repair or their city will contract the work but will charge the home proprietor for 100% of the cost. In 2012, the borough of Highland Park in New Jersey initiated a program that demanded home proprietors to repair defective sidewalks in front of their homes. Your city or borough can be next!
A lawsuit waiting to happen…
Home proprietors in Hawthorne are liable for upholding the sidewalks adjacent to their property. When they fail to effectively maintain their sidewalks, they become liable for the injuries that pedestrians experience. These pedestrians that hurt themselves by cause of your beat-up sidewalk have the legal right to sue you since you are the home proprietor. There are also plenty of lawyers that love to follow through with these kinds of premise liability cases, which will amount to a lot of money in the long run. A lot of estate owners in the State of New Jersey have been taken to court due to their laxity or the lack of understanding in regards to sidewalks and liability.
Your municipality or borough can also send you a notice requiring you to repair your sidewalk. Failure to conform within a certain time frame will result in fines. Spare yourself a lawsuit and fines by employing a sidewalk repair company ASAP!
Types of Sidewalk Defects
There are many types of defective sidewalks that can prove dangerous for Hawthorne pedestrians.
- Tree roots: When sidewalks go too long without repair, tree roots may cause them to become uneven.
- Collapsed sidewalks: Severely damaged sidewalks may have large parts caved in or separated from the rest of the walkway. This type of a situation certainly poses a serious fall hazard.
- Trip hazards: It is easy to trip and fall on large cracks that cut across poorly maintained sidewalks.
- Improper slope: Uneven sidewalks may have large portions that do not line up with the rest of the walkway.
- Patchwork: In an effort to save money on repairs, it is common to see inadequate patchwork jobs on specific locations that make the sidewalk surface uneven.
- Missing cobblestones and bricks: It is necessary to properly maintain walkways that are not made from concrete to ensure the safety of pedestrians.
Hawthorne NJ Sidewalk Repair Contractors
Hiring a sidewalk contractor to re-construct your damaged sidewalk is the best way to avoid any lawsuits or fines from your city. HOLESSolutions, a Clifton based infrastructure repair company, specializes in sidewalk repair. With plenty of crews working throughout Northern New Jersey, HOLESSolutions is capable of fixing your sidewalk within a few hours which in turn will diminish liability and enhance the look of your house’s aesthetics vastly. Just a quick call to HolesSolutions will end the daily gamble you’re taking. Available 24 hours a day/7 days a week, you can dial 973-779-4653 to get your sidewalk fixed professionally!