Showing ordinances that apply to Fairless Hills, PA
Fairless Hills is an unincorporated community (population 9,041) in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Because Fairless Hills is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Bucks County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The snow & sidewalk clearing rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Bucks County boroughs and townships require property owners to clear snow and ice from adjacent sidewalks within 24 hours of snowfall. PA 53 P.S. §66701 authorizes borough enforcement. Typical clearance width 36 inches. Elderly/disabled assistance available in several municipalities. Slip-and-fall liability under PA case law.
Sidewalk snow clearance in Bucks County is regulated by each municipality under authority granted by the PA Borough Code (8 Pa.C.S. §1202) and Township Codes (53 P.S. §66501 second class, 53 P.S. §55102 first class). Typical ordinance elements across Bucks boroughs (Doylestown, Newtown, New Hope, Bristol, Yardley, Morrisville, Perkasie, Quakertown, Langhorne, Hulmeville) and urbanized townships: clear snow and ice from public sidewalks within 24 hours of snowfall cessation; clear a minimum 36-inch wide path (48 inches in some boroughs for ADA compliance); treat compacted ice with sand, salt, calcium chloride, or other approved deicer; corner property owners must clear curb ramps and crosswalk access; business properties may have shorter deadlines (often 12 hours) due to higher foot traffic. PA follows the 'Hills and Ridges Doctrine' (originating in Rinaldi v. Levine, 1972) under which property owners are not liable for natural snow and ice accumulations UNLESS they allow it to form unusual ridges or elevations. However, once a property owner removes snow, they create a duty of reasonable care — incomplete or negligent removal may create liability. Municipal public works plow streets but NOT sidewalks; sidewalk clearance is the abutting owner's responsibility regardless of whether they own the sidewalk. Enforcement is complaint-driven and typically follows a notice-plus-fine model. Several Bucks boroughs (Doylestown, Newtown, Yardley) offer elderly/disabled snow removal assistance programs through public works, volunteer organizations, or senior centers. Snow cannot be pushed into the street or onto neighbors' property.
Failure to clear sidewalk within deadline: $25-$250 per occurrence under municipal ordinance. Municipality may contract to clear and bill the owner plus administrative fee. PA civil liability for slip-and-fall: significant if negligent removal creates hazard. Repeat violations: escalating fines. Snow dumped into street: $100-$250 traffic obstruction citation.
See how Fairless Hills's snow & sidewalk clearing rules stack up against other locations.
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