# Is it legal to plow streets???



## SlimJim Z71 (Nov 8, 2000)

I overhead someone mention today that they plow their own street on occasion due to the fact that they're usually the last one to get plowed. Just out of curiosity... is this legal? I had actually thought of doing my own street last year when we had a heavy snow-fall, but I didn't since I was unsure. Any thoughts???

-Tim


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## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

We plow the road to our shop all the time. Only because we are the only place on the road, and it is one of the last roads in the town to get plowed. The town doesn't care and it only makes it easier for us.

Geoff


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## JD PLOWER (May 18, 2001)

In the city where I'm from it isn't legal, but it is still done . On my street I used to plow when the city trucks decided to "take the storm off" but I received complaints from the neighbors . If you think your going to get complaints from neighbors, let them shovel .


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## CT18fireman (Nov 30, 2000)

I plow my mother's street. She lives in a small town and her house is on a hill. Since I am there anyway I make sure she can get out. I know most of the town plowers and none of them seem to mind as long as I am neat and do not leave any piles in the street.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

I don't know about legal, but that was one stipulation of my insurance - That I wouldn't be doing any public streets.


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## Taconic (May 18, 2001)

Unless you are contracted to plow a municipal street it is illegal i believe and you could very easily be sued by those on the road.The municipalitys defense could easily be that you disrupted and interefered with there clearing of a street.I would not do it unless contracted to.You could get in a whole legal battle when all you were doing was trying to help out a few people.
John Parkek
845-485-4200


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## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

Ahh

The bennefits of living in small town Maine. However with me its a different case, we are the only location on the road. I am suprised that we aren't a private road. Only the town has told us they have no problem with us plowing it as we head out into a storm.

Like I said before makes it easier for us when we come back for sand and salt, and it makes it easier for them.

Geoff


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## plowking35 (Dec 21, 1999)

Funny issue isnt it. You legally shouldnt plow the street, yet if you plow a driveway and have spillage in the street you have to clean it up. They get you coming and going. I have come acroos roads that I have customers on, and the town hasnt been there yey, I will drop the plow and open a path to my customers driveway. It is easier with the v plow to plow my way in, then to try and drive through rutted snow 12" deep.
Dino


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## Deere John (May 14, 2001)

We sometimes clean the street approaching a customers address prior to the municipal plow doing its thing. The benefit to me is that the municipal plow will not fill in the apron (so bad) and I usually do not have calls to return to clean aprons.

The converse of clearing the street is the use of the dribble technique with the vee plow when leaving an address on an unplowed street. This technique usually needs some darkness and the neighbours downstream to be asleep, but it works where complaints are not a sure thing.


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## plowking35 (Dec 21, 1999)

Why John whatever do you mean? 
BTW, I saw alot of tree harvesting equipment when i was in Maine. How exactly do you guys make the payments on all that iron? Real neat stuff tho. The limber is amazing. 
Dino


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## slplow (May 13, 2001)

The only thing I would worry about is. If you hit some thing while you are plowing the street ( like a man hole cover) and then slid into a car or some thing else. I think thats why the towns want big insurance on there subs trucks.


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## Deere John (May 14, 2001)

As you saw Dino, a lot of specialized, purpose-built forestry equipment is available now. Besides guts, a pen and a cheque, it takes trained operators and a sustainable volume of work to keep those machines on the payroll. The work cycles in forestry are so demanding that by the time a feller buncher, for example, at $600,000 is paid for in 5 years, it is also pretty much finished in terms of pumps, swing drives, engine and lower end - 16,000 plus hours of all-season work in rough conditions will do that. Not unlike our business - sometimes using equipment designed for other duty cycles to plow.

John - Forestry Feeds my little family
Support SIMA


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