Spotsylvania County, VA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Spotsylvania County Code § 13-3(6)
- Responsibility rule
- Sec. 13-5, owners/occupants of real property
- Criminal penalty
- Class 1 misdemeanor, Sec. 13-2
- Repair deadline
- Up to 10 days after notice
- County remedy
- Repair and bill owner, Sec. 13-30
- Appeal window
- 2 days to board of supervisors
Summary
Spotsylvania County treats an unsafe or unrepaired sidewalk, gutter or curbstone as a nuisance under Sec. 13-3(6), and Sec. 13-5 charges every owner, lessee, tenant or occupant of real property in the county with responsibility for keeping conditions on that property from becoming a nuisance, backed by the Class 1 misdemeanor penalty in Sec. 13-2.
It shall be unlawful and a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to cause, harbor, commit or maintain, or to suffer to be caused, harbored, committed or maintained any nuisance as defined by the statute or common law of this state or as defined by this Code or other ordinance of the board of supervisors at any place within the county. ... (6)All sidewalks, gutters or curbstones permitted to remain in an unsafe condition or out of repair; ... Each owner, lessee, tenant, occupant or person in charge of any real property within the county, and each agent or representative of any such person, is hereby charged with responsibility for the maintenance and use of such real property in such manner that no use of or activity or condition upon or within such real property shall constitute a nuisance.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 13-3(6) lists 'all sidewalks, gutters or curbstones permitted to remain in an unsafe condition or out of repair' among the conditions the board of supervisors has declared a nuisance countywide. The section does not single out a named party such as an 'abutting property owner'; instead, responsibility flows from Sec. 13-5, which charges each owner, lessee, tenant, occupant or agent of any real property in the county with the duty of maintaining and using that property so that no condition on or within it becomes a nuisance, and separately reserves the same responsibility for any other person's independent conduct.
Read together, an owner or occupant whose adjoining sidewalk, gutter or curb is left unsafe or unrepaired is exposed to the Class 1 misdemeanor penalty in Sec. 13-2 for maintaining a nuisance, in addition to the abatement process in Article II: the health officer investigates under Sec. 13-26, can order an immediate cease-and-desist for an ongoing hazard under Sec. 13-28, or issue written notice under Sec. 13-29 requiring the condition to be fixed within no more than 10 days, with a 2-day window to appeal to the board of supervisors before that deadline runs.
If the responsible party still does not repair the sidewalk, gutter or curbstone, Sec. 13-30 authorizes the county to make the repair itself and bill the cost to the addressee of the notice, collected the same way as delinquent county taxes.
Violations & Fines
Leaving a sidewalk, gutter or curbstone unsafe or unrepaired is a nuisance under Sec. 13-3(6), and maintaining it as such is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Sec. 13-2. The health officer can also issue written notice under Sec. 13-29 requiring repair within up to 10 days; if the responsible owner or occupant does not comply, the county can make the repair and bill the cost as it would delinquent county taxes under Sec. 13-30.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for fixing a broken sidewalk in Spotsylvania County?
Can I be charged criminally for a broken sidewalk on my property?
What if I don't fix the sidewalk after the county sends notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spotsylvania County
Compare Spotsylvania County to another location·View the Virginia sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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