如果你邻居或者朋友或者邻居家小孩子等等,进了你的地盘, 你不至于把人给射杀吧? 从前的法律是,如果是天然雪, 房东对它引起的伤害没有责任;如果不是天然雪(比如, 扫雪机、推雪机、或者自己除雪而堆积的雪,在自己地盘上, 所引起的伤害,房东是不能免责的(极端点说,如果那雪是 你踩了几脚后,后面的人摔倒了,你也有责)。这个旧法律 已经在今年夏天被更新。新法律适于Mother Nature 下的雪, 也就是你地盘上所有的雪所造成的对他人的伤害。 参看:http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/12/25/shoveling_ruling_may_face_its_1st_major_test/?p1=News_links 以及 http://www.massrealestatelawblog.com/2010/07/28/massachusetts-property-owners-now-have-legal-responsibility-to-shovel-and-treat-snow-and-ice-on-property/
High Court Overrules 100 Years of Massachusetts Snow Removal LawHard to think about snow and ice in July, but I had to blog about an important ruling on Massachusetts snow removal law. In a much anticipated ruling issued this week, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overruled 125 years of legal precedent and announced a new rule of law that all Massachusetts property owners are legally responsible for the removal of snow and ice from their property. The case is Papadopoulos v. Target Corp. and can be read here. Reckoning back to the days of the hardy New Englander, the old common law — known as the Massachusetts Rule — was that owners could simply leave naturally accumulated snow and ice untreated and escape liability. Noting that all other supreme courts of New England have now rejected the relic law, the SJC held that all Massachusetts property owners must remove or treat snow and ice like any other dangerous condition on property. Justice Ralph Gants rejected the old rule as it “is not reasonable for a property owner to leave snow or ice on a walkway where it is reasonable to expect that a hardy New England visitor would choose to risk crossing the snow or ice, rather than turn back or attempt an equally or more perilous walk around it.’’ Impact To Massachusetts Property Owners: Shovel Early & Often
What this change in Massachusetts snow removal law means for all property owners, both residential and commercial, is that they need to be extra vigilant after snow and ice storms, and clear areas in which the public and visitors have access–early and often. Whether a property owner takes reasonable steps in removing snow and ice will be determined by juries on a case by case basis. While this ruling is good for public safety, it has the potential to result in more slip and fall cases filed, and possibly additional insurance costs. Check Your Liability Insurance CoverageHomeowners should ensure that they have sufficient liability coverage. I recommend that most property owners have at least $1Million in coverage. Important: speak with your insurance agent about increasing the limits of your liability coverage. I recommend Nadine Heaps at Purple Ink Insurance out of Ashland, MA. What About Sidewalks?In most urban areas, sidewalks are legally owned by the cities. However, the major cities, including Boston, Lynn, and Worcester, require by local ordinances that owners clear municipal sidewalks in front of their residences or businesses. In Boston, snow removal is required for the full width of the sidewalk or a minimum of 42 inches. In addition, shoveling or plowing snow onto city streets from private property is prohibited. The cities that own their sidewalks, however, still bear the ultimate responsibility for injuries that occur on those public sidewalks. However, there is usually a cap on damages. Boston has a limit of $5,000 per accident, I believe. For residential towns without municipal-owned sidewalks, sidewalks remain the property of the abutting owner, and must be cleared by those owners. “To promote safety, Boston inspectors will be on alert for unshoveled sidewalks this winter, said Lisa Timberlake, spokeswoman for the Inspectional Services Department. Residents have six hours after a snowfall to clear walkways; businesses have three hours. Violations at buildings with fewer than six units are $50.”
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