Sidewalk Scofflaws

The city belatedly cracks down.

by Tim Athan

posted 9/3/2010

To the frustration of Ann Arborites who fixed their sidewalks under orders from the city, many of their neighbors' walks remain tilted and cracked. By law, if homeowners don't make repairs, the city can hire contractors to do the work for them--and add the cost to their tax bill if they don't pay. But even as the city stepped up inspections in recent years, enforcement was neglected: with both staff and money scarce, the last time the city made any repairs was 2005.

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