Troy, NY Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Section 251-10 of the Code of the City of Troy puts the snow and ice duty on the owner or occupant of any lot or part of a lot adjoining a public street, alley, highway or avenue, and on every person having the charge of any church, schoolhouse or other public building. The deadline is before the hour of 10:00 a.m. next following any day or night in which any snow has fallen or ice formed in the City. All snow and ice must be cleaned and removed from the entire width of the sidewalk, and the gutter of the street in front of the lot must be freed and kept open.

When snow or ice on part of the sidewalk cannot with reasonable diligence be removed by the deadline, the responsible person must sprinkle that portion with ashes or sand so the walk is safe for traveling, and keep it sprinkled until the snow or ice can be removed.

Subsection B adds two prohibitions. No person may place, throw or erect in any public street, square, alley, highway or avenue any pile of dirt, snow, ice, rubbish or refuse material that obstructs or endangers ordinary travel. An owner or occupant also may not permit an accumulation of ice on the sidewalk caused by water from the house gutter or conductor running to or across the sidewalk. Subsection C preserves shoveling snow from the sidewalk to the street, provided it is done in a manner that does not create piles and obstructions that endanger public use of the street.

Subsection D sets the City's fallback. If the owner or occupant has refused to remove ice, snow, rubbish or refuse from the sidewalk within 48 hours after written notice from the Commissioner of Public Works, served personally, left at the residence or mailed to a nonresident, the Commissioner can have it removed. A bill goes to the owner. If it is not paid within 10 days, the Commissioner files an affidavit of the actual cost with the City assessors, who assess the amount on the property, and it is collected like other local improvement assessments.