Yes, it's high time homeowners stopped getting a free sidewalk ride. Under a new "point of sale" proposal, homeowners would pay for the city's cracked and broken sidewalks, a plan which could cost the average resident as much as $15 for each square foot of sidewalk, according to the LA Times. Currently, the city spends about $9 million/year on sidewalk repairs, but our concrete-heavy city has 4,000 miles of sidewalk problems. "Under the proposal, homeowners would be forced to replace the damaged pavement -- or pay the city a fee -- when they sell their property, before the close of escrow." Real estate groups argue this is a big slap in the face to depressed homeowners, who are suffering financially what with the mortgage crisis and the crappy market. A past plan that requires homeowners to split the cost of the bill has its own backlog, according to the Times; under that plan, participants pay an average of $3,500.
· City to pass the bucks on sidewalks? [LA Times]
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