Rental Property Investor · Syracuse, NY · Member since 2014 · 7 posts · 0 votes
Hey everyone - I am looking at a property in Syracuse, NY. It is a corner lot. There is a city sidewalk along the perimeter of the yard that is adjacent to the street. There is also a concrete sidewalk from the front door of the house to the city sidewalk. Both areas have sections of sidewalk that have lifted and produce trip hazards (pretty minor in my opinion). I have a few questions.
1. Does the City of Syracuse inspect sidewalks and can you be cited for this if you do not repair? Do you know how often this inspection occurs? Will they inspect both the city sidewalk and the sidewalk on the property that leads from the front door to the city sidewalk section?
2. For the section that is city sidewalk, if I buy the property am I on the hook for any future repairs to the concrete? I'm aware I will be responsible for snow removal, etc. but curious about actual sidewalk repairs.
If it comes down to it, the fix should not be too bad to grind the concrete down that is high, I would not expect to immediately replace it. Thanks!
I can't see how you'd be responsible for the city sidewalk other than shoveling snow. If you buy it, let them know about it as it is a trip hazard. For the sidewalk going up to the house, you can always grind it down to level it off rather than replacing the entire sidewalk or section of the side walk.
Here you go... from the Syracuse City Website.... owner is responsible: "Repair and upkeep of sidewalks are the responsibility of each property owner. Sidewalk repairs must be paid for by the owner." see the link for the rest of the details:
Yes, and to add. hire your own contractor to do the walk. If the City does it they charge you 3-4x the normal cost and add it to your taxes. This was done to a friend of mine.