You guys know that I own pond-front property. My property begins at the end of a short street. Well, the two guys who plow that street push all the street's snow up to my property, creating a wall of snow. It's about six feet high now, but will only grow thicker and taller. So, I'm blocked off from my property right now, but in a month that wall of snow will be a wall of ice and very slow to melt. I have a friend on the street and I asked him for the plow guys' numbers. He said he'd call them and he did, but he didn't sound hopeful after those conversations. I did nail two green and white "Private driveway" signs to trees where my property starts and I ordered a "Please do not put snow here." sign today, which I'll attach to a pole and stick in their wall of snow, but I expect they'll just bury it with more snow.

Now, I understand their position. They need a place to put the snow and I'm not living there just now. If they don't put it there, they'll have to make arrangements to put it in somebody's yard.

Still...I'm going to be fishing in April and I'll be blocked from my property.

Snowplows push snow here into driveways all the time. They don't really care, their primary purpose is to get it off the public road. I have to remove it manually with my snowblower and/or a shovel. When it snows again, the plow goes by again, and the process is repeated. All winter long.

I can understand the frustration about having a big pile of snow blocking your access though.

A 12 pack goes a long way When I lived in Wisconsin I got to know the plow guy he always left my drive open. Thank you Miller Lite

Just like @gim posted above, it’s our responsibility to clear the snow piled up at the end of our driveways. I think you’d probably have to pay someone to come out and move the snow blocking your property and move it somewhere else if you don’t have the ability to move it yourself.

I also have a set of 3 mailboxes and a fire hydrant that I constantly clear all winter too.

It sucks but it's necessary given that those items are on my property. I would expect someone else to do it on their property too.

My neighbors do constantly compliment me and thank me for doing it, so at least they notice and appreciate it.

I have the same problem at my house in Maine. There is only so many places to push the snow. I got the plow drivers ear and said; “Hey, I was hoping you can push over there instead of over here, because ….” Which worked,

Providing an alternative solution went a long way in that respect

Good luck

The Local County Road Commission is very good at their job.

They are fully equipped and prepared for all the lake effect snow this area receives.

Can't imagine what the end of my drive would look like

if that continuous wall of snow they deposited went unaddressed all winter.

Some years it's like a job.

A-Jay

I do have a trailer that could lug my snowblower to my pond property's driveway, but all the snow for a block is put there. My snowblower couldn't move that much snow and I'm too old to load the snowblower, lash it in my trailer, drive it my property, unload it, and then fail to move the snow anyway. It's different with the head of my driveway because in a good storm, I'll go out there three or four times to keep clearing my driveway, but even in the biggest storm, there's not six feet of snow piled there by the town's plows.

I do like the beer idea.

Are these guys private contractors, city or county people?

1 hour ago, bowhunter63 said:

A 12 pack goes a long way

Nah … this is Maine, they like the real lighter fluid. @Swamp Girl, better get some Canadian whiskey

37 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

Are these guys private contractors, city or county people?

Private contractors, I think.

I think I would find out and make them aware of what they are doing in blocking a private drive.

If the beer and/or make nice doesn't work...

Do you have a picture? Maybe a wide angle?

One, you could maybe complain to the township?

Two, maybe there's an alternate way they could plow the snow. They just haven't thought of it and are doing what they've always done.

Actually if I'm picturing it correctly why can't they just plow to each side and leave a gap in the middle for you?

18 minutes ago, Kev-mo said:

If the beer and/or make nice doesn't work...

Do you have a picture? Maybe a wide angle?

One, you could maybe complain to the township?

Two, maybe there's an alternate way they could plow the snow. They just haven't thought of it and are doing what they've always done.

Actually if I'm picturing it correctly why can't they just plow to each side and leave a gap in the middle for you?

Plowing to each side would put the street's snow on two yards. One of the yards is a small school and the parents park where the snow would be.

It may be time to get cranky. Save nasty for later. Maybe the neighbors need to spring for a dump truck to haul it away instead of blocking your drive.

The law is on my side. I found a state law that says blocking right of way with snow can trigger a $500 fine. However, I don't want to make any enemies.

Is it a public or private road? If it’s public isn’t there a street dept you could talk to about it? Where I am the plows working for the town can plow into the drive as they drive past it, I can’t imagine it’d be allowed to push the roads worth into just one driveway.

If it’s private then see if you can come up with an option for where they can put it. Could they just push it off to the side of your access rd?

9 hours ago, padlin said:

Is it a public or private road? If it’s public isn’t there a street dept you could talk to about it?

I think it's private, but it's not posted as private.

Private just means it’s not an official town road so they won’t take care of it. Here is the burbs of Springfield about half are private, as is ours, just no one knows it till it needs maintenance. In Ma the town gets $ from the state towards every mile of public roads, nada for private.

Build a fire next to the ice mountain for a week or two ? Haha

I live in a cul-de-sac in the very back of a neighborhood, they always push the snow up in front our our mailbox and the fire hydrant. My kids will have to end up shoveling a bunch of it out every year to get to their basketball goal because it's so slow to melt when it's in giant piles like that. I use to put a bunch in the back of my truck and haul it around until it would melt and then refill it to get rid of the pile but can't do it anymore since I got the 4runner.

Does your city ordinance address anything regarding how snow plow workers are to conduct their business?

Does your city ordinance address anything regarding how snow plow workers are to conduct their business?

1 hour ago, Backroad Angler said:

I found a state law that says you're not allowed to deposit snow on a right of way and if you do, you can be fined $500. However, that option feels nuclear. I'm going to try a sign first and then a bottle of whiskey or some beer while explaining how the snow turns to ice and then even when it's warm enough for me to fish, I can't access my driveway.

Clayton, there's no way I could shovel my way through the pile. The street to my property is more than a city block long and all the snow from that street gets moved to the front of my driveway.

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

they always push the snow up in front our our mailbox and the fire hydrant. My kids will have to end up shoveling a bunch of it out every year

The first year I lived at my current house we had record-breaking snow (91 inches). Removing snow in front of the mailboxes and hydrant was back breaking work. I hated it. In fact, it got to be such a miserable chore that I kind of let it go a little towards the end of winter. Within two days, there was a notice in my mailbox from the local Postmaster stating that if the snow isn't cleared, the mail delivery would stop.

Clearing the snow by the hydrant actually isn't required here, but for specific reasons I still do that frequently too. You know, like if my house started on fire. I feel like that would pay off. Hopefully it never has to.