# Snowplower got $800.00 Fine?



## mjmstaff (Dec 10, 2003)

My wife just called and told me that a guy got a $800 fine for plowing the snow from his driveway and packing it across the street. Does anyone know anything about this? They said it was a Michigan Law that you can't do that.


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## NHSnow (Nov 18, 2003)

*Every state is different*

By NH law (RSA) plowing across a road is legal as long as it is cleaned up. Some municipalities might have local laws banning this. Michigan (or the local municipality) might indeed have a law banning this. Call your local police department for a difinitive answer.


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## mickman (Jan 24, 2001)

the laws are probably mostly the same for evey state. in Md., you are not to push any snow into street from driveways, any entrances, etc.


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

A lot a lot of areas have laws like that. As far as $800 fine that seems real high. I have heard of $75 fines around here. I see morons push snow out into the street all the time. If I have to do it I then put it to the curb,I never push across the street. How would theses morons like their wife to come along and ram the $25,000 minivan into the snow pile/trailer in the street?


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## The Boss (Oct 22, 2003)

It's illegal in Iowa and Illinois also.


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## flykelley (Dec 29, 2003)

mjmstaff said:


> My wife just called and told me that a guy got a $800 fine for plowing the snow from his driveway and packing it across the street. Does anyone know anything about this? They said it was a Michigan Law that you can't do that.


Mike
A about 6 years ago when I lived in Clarkston Mi I was snow blowing my sidewalk and there was no where else for the snow to go but in the street because of a high retaining wall next to the sidewalk. 
A cop came by and saw me blowing snow into the street and said if he saw me doing it again he would give me a ticket. So I do not know the exact law but I believe it is illegal in Michigan to plow snow into the street. Now with that said,is it ok to push it across the street? If I do I make sure I clean it up real good and don't leave any trails.

Regards Mike


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## Kramer (Nov 13, 2004)

A guy in Southwick Mass was fined $100 for pushing into the street. In his case though, he was actually snowblowing it into the street. People figure that the town truck wont eeven notice the extra on the next pass.

I was backdragging into the st yesterday myself---just past the entrance to the driveway- nowhere else to push.
One of the town officials came by abd gave me the hairy eyeball, but didn't stop. I cleaned up real quick and got outa dodge.

This drve in particular is about 25 ft long right straight to the garage door, bordered on both sides by a 8 ft high railroad tie wall. Back dragging into the rd is the only answer. With the geometry, even a blower won't work.


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## SteveB(wi) (Dec 27, 2004)

I got stopped Sat morning here in SE WI. I do know it's illegal but am very good about cleaning up (it's my house) and put it mid block on the median island of our 4+ lane divided busy street. Cop told me he would write me up for littering. I've been doing driveways on this street for 30 years and it was a two lane cowpath and this the first time I've even seen an officer look at me. I was a little gun shy the rest of the day as I have a couple more I push across the pavement into the opposite ditch.


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## repo_man62 (Oct 24, 2004)

*Across the street*




mjmstaff said:


> My wife just called and told me that a guy got a $800 fine for plowing the snow from his driveway and packing it across the street. Does anyone know anything about this? They said it was a Michigan Law that you can't do that.


Absolutely! I lived in Bay City (moving back soon) and had Bay County sheriff knock on my door to go straighten (push into a ditch) out snow I had pushed across the street. Said it was a "safety hazard". NO PLOWING INTO STREET IN MICHIGAN!


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## mickman (Jan 24, 2001)

at some places, we have no choice. If I do, I slowly raise up blade as I drive across so as not to dig up snow on street [ keeping it level w/ snow pack ]
then I neaten it all up so that you can't tell. Now, I see morons who will screw up the intersection and pile snow up & over walks. They deserve a ticket!


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## Jone43 (Dec 28, 2004)

SteveB(wi) said:


> I got stopped Sat morning here in SE WI. I do know it's illegal but am very good about cleaning up (it's my house) and put it mid block on the median island of our 4+ lane divided busy street. Cop told me he would write me up for littering. I've been doing driveways on this street for 30 years and it was a two lane cowpath and this the first time I've even seen an officer look at me. I was a little gun shy the rest of the day as I have a couple more I push across the pavement into the opposite ditch.


Must have been a real slow day in Mayberry! Ol' Sherriff trying to drum up some work. Pathetic. Go out and do something, anything besides break a guys chops trying to make a living. I work with guys like this and they are a joke. Most of them are the ones that got the crap beat out of them all through school now they have somehting to prove.


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## 85F150 (Mar 13, 2003)

about time....not to piss any one off but 98% of the people that do it make a mess or don't push it off the road more than 2 ft.... 

I know down here in the SW part of Mi, Van buren county to be exact, they can bust you. If some one calls the road comm and complains the saftey director comes out and can ticket you but almost no one complains except me. I usually will stop and someones house or leave a typed note informing them of the issue. Do it again and i contact the road comm or state police. The storm we just had saturday, more than half the people didn't even push it off the road, or the one guy down the road from me pushes it into the road and tries to smooth it off and leave it there. 

i can't seem to find the exact law on the website, but i would say it applies to the whole state....


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## avalancheplow (Dec 20, 2003)

Town laws are different. Around here on the seacoast its illegal. Not sure what the fine is though.


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## 04superduty (Jan 9, 2004)

i heard on the local news about a snowplower fined for plowing his neighbors drive out and pushing across the street. it may be the same person.


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## grassmanvt (May 27, 2004)

It's illegal in vermont(at least in the towns closest to me) I'm not sure if it's state wide but most towns have some sort of ordinance pertaining to it.It's not very strictly enforced though.


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## mjmstaff (Dec 10, 2003)

I have to say I don't push the snow in the street but I do put it across the street. I then push it up on my neighbors lawn. I don't feel bad because I then do the same thing for him and put it up my my own. I never leave snow in the street but after the report I started to think if I could get a fine.


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## Robo (Jan 17, 2004)

mjmstaff said:


> My wife just called and told me that a guy got a $800 fine for plowing the snow from his driveway and packing it across the street. Does anyone know anything about this? They said it was a Michigan Law that you can't do that.


Was it in Flint?? If so it doesn't surprise me. On the same corner the guy got a ticket for plowing the snow there was a crack dealer selling crack that was ignored :angry: Its just easier to pick on the working man


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## daninline (Nov 1, 2004)

I know in my town they have said they are busting down on this als I did see in the next towns local paper there is a $100 fine for doing this.

There is one street I plow a house on and you can tell who plows like 5 houses on this street as they are all plowed accross the street and left in a big mess :realmad: 

Making us looking bad


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## PlowboyBlake (Dec 17, 2003)

I never push across the street, I have never seen a need to do it. ALWAYS on the entrances. :waving:


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## Peopleeater (Jan 8, 2005)

*Never across the street*

I never need to plow across the street either. I will however clean up the street after the plow has come by (Mailbox and street parking.) I only do this at my house though. I don't do any residentials.

Just leave the snow piled at the entrance and it keeps out unwanted visitors. Unless of course, the entrance needs to be clear.

Jeff


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## Metro Lawn (Nov 20, 2003)

I am sure this law came about because of the hacks and scrubs I see all the time. They drop the blade while leaving a lot and raise it as they head off down the street, leaving a 2 ft. mound of snow in the middle of the street. Even the ones that push it all the way across will leave several 1 ft high wind rows and not clean them up. Both ways cause a traffic hazzard. We push across street all the time, but clean up any trail offs. We have never had a problem with local law enforcement.


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## face-shot (Jan 20, 2005)

A few weeks ago I was plowing a driveway and as usually do i piled the snow at the end of the drive maybe 4" 5" into the street so i can come in from the street and pile snow in the end corer of the drive. As I was about to do the push to the corner a town truck came down the opposite side of the road. So I backed up way off to the side (I always yield to the bigger truck) Anyway he just stopped for a minute like me way waiting for me to fo something. The he angles his blade toward the driveway and pushes all the snow right to the very end of the 50' driveway piling all the snow right behind two parked cars, Needless to say I was pissed. I was ready to get out of the truck and say something to him but he took off. Did I do something wrong? Or does this just seem ridicules to you guys? In the end it took twice as long to clean up his mess than to plow the thing in the first place. My conclusion is that town drive is a real mother ******


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## plowman777 (Dec 15, 2002)

i went to court over this in NJ 9 years ago. the fine was 125.00 and i got it reduced to $50...it was during a blizzard of 30 inches. its a municpial law.
cant push across streets cuz it clears the precious salt away.

i still do it but make sure i clean up real well.
but mostly i avoid those driveways that are all downhill onto
a busy street.


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## NEXTDAYSIGNS (Oct 25, 2003)

In Frederick Md it is a 500 dollar fine for pushing across a street. Last year the police started to enforce 2 guys I plow with got them. And when we leave around the entrance and the street looks better they when we got there. Last year the cop told my friend this comes from the top I know you guys are trying your best. This year I talked to someone from the city and he said watch out.


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## SCBrown (Jan 25, 2005)

In five years I have never had a problem, but after Sat. night I can see why the police are cracking down.
I was plowing a commercial lot and watched a guy across the street plow a one foot pile right into a main road and leave it there.
For you S.E. Michigan guys, this happened on 12 mile and Hoover.
As I was leaving there was a car stuck in this mess the guy left, right on a main rd.
Makes everyone look bad.


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## t4dodge (Oct 10, 2002)

daninline said:


> I know in my town they have said they are busting down on this als I did see in the next towns local paper there is a $100 fine for doing this.


In the Putnam Town Crier?? I must have missed this...


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## RamesesSnow23 (Jan 4, 2004)

Its illegal to push across the street here. I find my self doing it in really big (2'+) storms when there is no place left for snow to go. For 90% of the storms i don't do it. If i do push across the street then i take the time to clean it up so you would never know i did it.



85F150 said:


> about time....not to piss any one off but 98% of the people that do it make a mess or don't push it off the road more than 2 ft....


I agree 100%!
Most of the a-holes that do it just leave it in the middle of the road, they should at least attempt to clean it up. Oh well, these past few days have proved to me that alot of plowers are really stupid. We have tons of residential only guys that just make a mess of everything and don't know what they are doing. Most people that plow for a company and do commercial and residential and have a name or their own name on their truck do an exceptional job. Of course there are the residential guys like me who do a good job but many are half assed and half of the half assed people are low ballers. Enough "halfs" for you? My point is, people really need to learn how to plow, iam always amazed at the guy with a $45,000 truck and a brand new $3,700 plow who has no clue how to do it right. You also see alot of people in their 40's, 50's and 60's that have been plowing for many years doing a crap job and leaving snow in the street. Iam 17 with just 2 full seasons behind me and I manage to do 10X better then some of these guys.


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## scuba875 (Dec 22, 2004)

Last weekend on my way out to plow I hit one of those piles pushed into the street by some A-hole. I slowed down but I wasn't in 4 wheel yet so when I hit the pile I almost lost control of the truck. I'm not sure if it is against the law here or not but the guy who trained me when I was 16 told me never push across the street or leave snow on the street and then fan it out as you drive away. So I never did it or developed the habit of doing it. I wish I could catch the guy who did leave that pile had there been a car next to me there would have been a collision. I can see if done right and cleaned up properly it wouldn't be a problem. I guess the cops just can't single out the lazy guys so I could see how it becomes against law.


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## Sparky925 (Aug 30, 2002)

I used to work for Mass Highway had a guy pushing snow out into the middle of the State road and leaving the piles I stopped and asked to stop leaving the snow and more or less told me to pound sand up my A** . I said ok I had a grader working for us it had a 14" wing took it down to this area and had all of the snow pushed back in this guys yard. He pushed it back out again the grader just backed up and pushed it back in but what the jerk did not see was the State Trooper right behind the grader watching this go on. The trooper locked this guy up for the night it no plates on the pick no insurance etc the truck got towed. By the time the storm was over they needed a D-8 to get back in his lot.
If you push the snow out into the street clean it up


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## snow_man_48045 (Nov 24, 2002)

Metro Lawn said:


> I am sure this law came about because of the hacks and scrubs I see all the time. They drop the blade while leaving a lot and raise it as they head off down the street, leaving a 2 ft. mound of snow in the middle of the street. Even the ones that push it all the way across will leave several 1 ft high wind rows and not clean them up. Both ways cause a traffic hazzard. We push across street all the time, but clean up any trail offs. We have never had a problem with local law enforcement.


Ditto Metro, I see a local guy from Richmond do the plow into the old road trick every time he leaves his condo account which is next to one of mine. I just shake my head and thik what a jerk!


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## snow_man_48045 (Nov 24, 2002)

SCBrown said:


> In five years I have never had a problem, but after Sat. night I can see why the police are cracking down.
> I was plowing a commercial lot and watched a guy across the street plow a one foot pile right into a main road and leave it there.
> For you S.E. Michigan guys, this happened on 12 mile and Hoover.
> As I was leaving there was a car stuck in this mess the guy left, right on a main rd.
> Makes everyone look bad.


Thats just plain stupid lazzyness. Some just don't take pride in anything they do!!!!!!


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## snow_man_48045 (Nov 24, 2002)

It drives me crazy when people will pile snow so high in the exits of commercial accounts that the cars can't see traffic coming down the road to pull out.
Come on I now it takes more time to plow the snow out of the intersection, than up to the side on the curbs road edge , but think a little use your head. People can't see to get out of a lot with a 12 foot pile of snow blocking vision of oncoming traffic.  :angry:


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## Peopleeater (Jan 8, 2005)

snow_man_48045 said:


> It drives me crazy when people will pile snow so high in the exits of commercial accounts that the cars can't see traffic coming down the road to pull out.
> Come on I now it takes more time to plow the snow out of the intersection, than up to the side on the curbs road edge , but think a little use your head. People can't see to get out of a lot with a 12 foot pile of snow blocking vision of oncoming traffic.  :angry:


No one said you HAD to pile it at the corner of the drive/lot. This drives me a little nuts, but plowing across the road is , in one word, LAZY.

I have actually plowed into street one time, but didn't feel good about it. 
Went to drop dead plow at parents house. 8" of snow on drive. Dead plow. 8" on drive! This one time it'll be ok. If not ok, there was a reason. Took me 6 times as long to clear it. 5 minute job was at least a half hour!!

I maybe should have just taken plow home!?

Jeff


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## Peopleeater (Jan 8, 2005)

*Not wanting to offend*



flykelley said:


> Mike
> A about 6 years ago when I lived in Clarkston Mi I was snow blowing my sidewalk and there was no where else for the snow to go but in the street because of a high retaining wall next to the sidewalk.
> A cop came by and saw me blowing snow into the street and said if he saw me doing it again he would give me a ticket. So I do not know the exact law but I believe it is illegal in Michigan to plow snow into the street. Now with that said,is it ok to push it across the street? If I do I make sure I clean it up real good and don't leave any trails.
> 
> Regards Mike


I don't want to offend you mike, or anyone else. But if street is on left, street is on the right, and sidewalk is in middle. I can't pile on left (retaining wall), can't on the right (street, law), what is wrong with straight ahead? Maybe snowblowers only blow to left or right? Mine will angle more than 180 degrees, and can stop in any postition in between.

There is ALWAYS another way.

Jeff


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## Robhollar (Dec 27, 2003)

Here I find the homeowners almost always blow thier snow into the street. Let a plow guy do it and all hell breaks loose...Rob


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## daninline (Nov 1, 2004)

t4dodge said:


> In the Putnam Town Crier?? I must have missed this...


Nope in the Woodstock Our Town paper.
And I know someone who is very involved in the town of Thompson and told me they were busting down also.


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## flykelley (Dec 29, 2003)

Peopleater
There is another way. I called the DPW Director up and told him my problem. He tells me no big deal,I will send the guys out tonight with the front end loader and haul it away. The where cleaning up downtown and I'm just 1 block from there. Woke up and the snow was all gone, and now when it gets to deep the just show up and haul the snow away.  

Regards Mike


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

The law is not new- it's been on the books of most citys and states for ever only most of the time it's not enforced. Big storms make reason for the cops to enforce the laws. I got harassed by a DPW super last weekend for breaking into a drive and piling the snow on the sidewalk (illegal also) I explained the plow doesn;t fit between the tele pole and the property- he understood but saked not to do it saying "this storm is going to be tough for all of us".

I have one that I always plow the sidewalk clear and push it to the corner of the street right next to the house where the town plows. If I don;t the sidewalk plow pushed half of it back onto my customers front walk way- havn;t had a gripe ther yet but I'm expecting one- I have an argument already prepaired. (If the city can put their snow on private property I can put it back) LOL

Anyway I plow across a couple streets in some cases opening drives- some times there is simply no choice and the cops and city guys know- I try to talk to the city guys on all my routes and inform them of who I am and what houses I do while explaining that I clean up any snow I put in the street. they usually are ok with it as long as I do clean up.


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## Tom Smith (Nov 8, 2003)

thats the dummest thing ive ever heard.... I push across all the time... whats the big deal if u push it across the street and over the curb.... People who made up those laws are f*ckin morons !


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## snow_man_48045 (Nov 24, 2002)

They can make all the laws they want they will still be broken, and some will be enforced and some not when ever they feal like it. End of story


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## snow_man_48045 (Nov 24, 2002)

Peopleeater said:


> No one said you HAD to pile it at the corner of the drive/lot. This drives me a little nuts, but plowing across the road is , in one word, LAZY.
> 
> I have actually plowed into street one time, but didn't feel good about it.
> Went to drop dead plow at parents house. 8" of snow on drive. Dead plow. 8" on drive! This one time it'll be ok. If not ok, there was a reason. Took me 6 times as long to clear it. 5 minute job was at least a half hour!!
> ...


I plow across the road at only two of the res. that I do, but always clean the trails up cleaner than the road was when I got there. By the way these drives are on side streets that don't get plowed until 2-3 days after the storm. On major roads I just push to the end of the drive then to the side on the owner of the driveways' grass. Easy enough!


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## wirenut (Jan 16, 2004)

what is so hard about blending it into the side of the road ?
it's these dumb asses that give the rest of us a bad rap and 
cause govt to make fines and i dont blame them. start turning guys in
and it will stop plus it may get rid of a few lowballers  
i have a buddy and he's a slob..i told him i can't wait for someone to loose control of their car because he left snow in the road....
some people need plowing lessons.......


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## drplow (Nov 7, 2004)

its illegal here too. i plow snow across the street on a few because there is no place to put it or the customer wants it put across the street. they could pay the fine. i clean it up good too. so many idiots put snow into the road with their snowblower and shovels. the cops must think its normal for everyone to put it back into the road. almost wiped out this year when i was doing 20mph on a curve in the road and drove through 5" of packed snow that some guy snowblowed into the street. i backed up and pushed it back in his driveway. i don't think people know that is someone gets into an accident from this that they would be liable.


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

I always ride thru my neighborhood with my plow right angled. When I see mister dumb A, blowing snow into the street I drop the plow and put it back where it came from!!! I have even waved them with snow as they are blowing it into the street. I asked a Police Sargent about it . he said " just turn on your amber light your doing your civic duty clearing the streets, they are putting snow into the public right of way"


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## snow_man_48045 (Nov 24, 2002)

MickiRig1 said:


> I always ride thru my neighborhood with my plow right angled. When I see mister dumb A, blowing snow into the street I drop the plow and put it back where it came from!!! I have even waved them with snow as they are blowing it into the street. I asked a Police Sargent about it . he said " just turn on your amber light your doing your civic duty clearing the streets, they are putting snow into the public right of way"


LOL< Thats funny I do the very same thing! I think a few times the snow got them back in the rebound.  
There was a guy down my street shoveling snow in the road yesterday. Mined you it had not snowed here in over a week. I wasn't in my truck, so all he got was the horn


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