In light of the blizzard watch that was issued Wednesday, January 20, 2016, the attorneys at Azrael, Franz, Schwab & Lipowitz have provided the following information regarding Baltimore County’s snow shoveling laws.

If you are a resident of Baltimore County, you are required to remove the snow or ice from any sidewalks that run along the front of your home. Specifically, the county law states that, “each person or public institution occupying or using a residential, commercial, or industrial building in any manner or for any purpose shall remove and clear away, or cause to be removed and cleared away, the snow from the foot pavements fronting the respective houses, stores, shops, stables, houses of worship, lots occupied by any buildings, unoccupied buildings, and unoccupied lots that run along streets in the county.”

When clearing snow and ice from any walkway, residents and business owners must note that there are specifications for doing so. They are as follows:

• Snow removal may not obstruct the passage of drain water into gutters
• Snow is not to be thrown into publicly cleared streets

If you do not remove the snow from the sidewalks in front of your residence or business as required, county-employed services may remove it at your expense. This expense may be incurred as a lien on your property in a similar manner as property taxes.

Meteorologists have given a preliminary estimate that Baltimore County could receive between one and two feet of snow beginning Friday evening. The attorneys and staff at Azrael, Franz, Schwab & Lipowitz want to remind you to take extreme caution if you must be on the roads or outside during a winter storm.