Greenwood, IN Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Removal deadline
- 12 hrs after snowfall ends (§ 6-340)
- Duty falls on
- Occupant, or owner if no occupant
- Slippery ice
- Must be sanded if not removable
- Maximum fine
- Up to $2,500 (§ 1-13, general penalty)
- Commercial rule
- No dumping snow into street (§ 6-341)
Summary
In the City of Greenwood, Indiana, the occupant, or the owner if there is no occupant, of property next to a public sidewalk must clear it of snow, ice, and debris, removing snow within 12 hours after it stops falling under City Code § 6-340. Where ice cannot be cleared and leaves a slippery surface, sand must be spread, with violations defaulting to the general penalty of up to $2,500.00 under § 1-13.
Except as otherwise provided by state law, wherever in this Code or in any ordinance of the City, or rule or regulation promulgated by an officer or agency thereof under the authority invested by law or ordinance, any act is prohibited or is made or declared to be unlawful or an offense ... where no specific penalty is provided therefor, the violation of any such provision of this Code, ordinance, rule or regulation is declared to be an offense and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00). ... The occupant, or the owner where there is no occupant, of the property adjoining any public sidewalk shall keep the sidewalk free of debris, snow, ice and any foreign matter. Snow shall be removed within twelve (12) hours after it has ceased falling. Where snow or ice cannot be readily removed, and presents a slippery surface, sand shall be spread on it.
Full Breakdown
Section 6-340 places the duty on whoever adjoins the public sidewalk: the occupant of the property, or the owner if there is no occupant, must keep the sidewalk free of debris, snow, ice, and any other foreign matter. The clock starts when the snow stops: removal is due within 12 hours after the snowfall has ceased, not 12 hours after it began or after the homeowner notices it. If ice or hard-packed snow cannot be readily cleared and still leaves a slippery walking surface, the section requires sand to be spread on it as an interim fix rather than leaving the hazard in place.
A companion rule in § 6-341 adds a separate duty for commercial enterprises: they may not let snow or other obstruction from their sidewalks, parking lots, or driveways be pushed or deposited into the street, and that section expressly ties its own violation to the general penalty in § 1-13, plus the cost of removing the obstruction from the street. Because § 6-340 itself lists no dollar fine, a residential violation is likewise punished under § 1-13, up to $2,500.00 for a Code violation with no specific penalty stated, with each day the sidewalk remains uncleared counted as a separate offense.
Both sections trace back to the 1983 Greenwood Municipal Code, §§ 15-3 and 15-4, and sit within Article 10's public health and safety rules alongside the City's street-obstruction and littering provisions.
Violations & Fines
Failing to clear a sidewalk of snow within 12 hours after it stops falling violates § 6-340, and, since the section names no dollar figure, is punished under the general penalty in § 1-13: a fine of up to $2,500.00, with each day the walk stays uncleared treated as a separate offense. Commercial operators who push snow into the street face the same penalty under § 6-341, plus removal costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon must I clear snow from my sidewalk in Greenwood?
What if I can't fully clear ice off my sidewalk?
Can a business push its parking lot snow into the street?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greenwood
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