Please review these important notes regarding snow removal, and reach out to the Board of Directors if you have any questions or concerns:
- Each homeowner is responsible for removal of snow and ice on his/her own property, including the sidewalk. In fact, the sidewalk in front of your property is the only area that homeowners are legally required to clear – see Hallam Borough Ordinance No. 2021-1. Clearing snow from your driveway or the walk leading to your door is encouraged but is at the discretion of the homeowner.
- While there is no mention of snow removal in the governing documents of the HOA, the Board of Directors does have responsibility for ensuring that the sidewalks in front of the Common Areas are cleared. Since we must pay someone to come and clear these areas, it makes sense to have that contractor simply clear all of the sidewalks. This is what the Board has done for years, and this Board will continue to do. However, we do not have control over how quickly the contractor arrives – this is dependent on factors such as the amount of snowfall, the number of other customers they need to service, etc. As a result, homeowners may need/wish to clear their own sidewalks rather than wait for the contractor to do so.
- When the snow/ice accumulation is less than 3 inches, our contractor contacts the Board of Directors who must then make a judgement call as to whether the amount of snowfall is significant enough to warrant spending the money for its removal. If the snowfall is minor and/or we believe it will melt quickly, we may decline to have the contractor come. We do not always make the best choice, as occurred once earlier this winter, so we appreciate your patience with us. Additionally, in some cases – such as Feb 13, 2022 – our contractor isn’t offering services because the snow accumulation was not significant enough to make his team work on a Sunday. The Board has decided that, for the remainder of this winter season, we will have the contractor come regardless of the amount of accumulation – as long as they are working that day. In the spring, we will look at the total amount of money spent over the winter and reevaluate that approach for next year.
As always, please contact us with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Your HOA Board of Directors
