Boone County, KY Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Section 97.15 defines OWNER as the fee-simple titleholder of the land under a sidewalk, but if the sidewalk sits within the county right-of-way, OWNER instead means the titleholder of the adjoining property, since installing a sidewalk on county right-of-way grants the county an easement under Section 97.18 while placing maintenance responsibility on the adjacent landowner. Section 97.16 lets the Fiscal Court repair county sidewalks it finds unsafe or hazardous due to deterioration, damage or disrepair. To trigger that power, Section 97.19 allows the designated county officer, a county authority, or at least five county residents, to file a petition alleging a sidewalk is unfit; the officer then inspects, and if warranted issues a complaint and schedules a hearing 10 to 30 days out, with the owner and parties in interest entitled to answer and testify.

If the officer determines after the hearing that the sidewalk is unfit, Section 97.20 requires a written order specifying the needed repairs and a compliance deadline. Section 97.21 is the enforcement backstop: if the owner or parties in interest don't comply, the county officer can have the sidewalk repaired and place a lien for the cost on the property, or on the adjoining property if the sidewalk itself is within the county right-of-way. An affected owner has 30 days after service of the order to petition Boone Circuit Court for an injunction under Section 97.23, described in the code as the exclusive remedy.