Courthouses Complying With Snow Removal Law
BOSTON (CBS) - A day after getting dumped on by close to a foot of snow, parts of Cape Cod were still digging out on Tuesday.
The clearest sidewalks you're likely to find are, appropriately enough, at the Commonwealth's courthouses - like the Falmouth trial court.
WBZ visited the court there, along with courthouses in Boston, Plymouth, and Barnstable.
We were curious to see if the state's courthouses were complying with a change in law that's been in effect since this summer.
Then, the state's Supreme Judicial Court ruled that "a property owner owes a duty to all lawful visitors to use reasonable care to maintain its property in a reasonably safe condition in view of all the circumstances."
WBZ-TV's Jim Armstrong reports.
In other words, you have to shovel and salt or risk a lawsuit. The ruling goes for private, commercial, and state property.
We went to check out the SJC itself at One Pemberton Square in Boston, and except for one seldom-used entryway, everything appeared clear and well-salted.
Plymouth district court appeared well cleared, too. An employee there told WBZ that the bright sun and slightly warmer temperatures helped keep everything open and accessible.
An SJC spokeswoman explained to WBZ that, generally speaking, courthouse parking lots are plowed by contractors hired to do the work while steps and walkways around the building are done by maintenance crews in the building.
Whoever owns the courthouse (or the land it's on), whether it's the county, the state or a private landlord, is obligated to clear the snow.
Of course, the snowy season has just started, leaving plenty of time to see if the SJC's ruling will in fact result in more "slip-and-fall" lawsuits, as some critics contend.
