All guides — page 6
Everything on the site, grouped by section. Use the search box or the section index to narrow it down.
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Neighbors & Community
Noise Ordinances and What Counts as a Nuisance
Noise rules are local, and they work in one of two ways: a measured decibel limit or a plainly audible test. A private nuisance claim is a different route with a higher bar.
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Neighbors & Community
Shared Driveways and Access Easements
A shared driveway is usually an easement, and the recorded grant controls how wide it is, who may use it, for what, and how the cost of keeping it up is divided.
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Neighbors & Community
Short-Term Guests, Parking, and Neighborhood Parking Permits
Residential permit parking districts are created by city ordinance. A permit is an exemption from a posted restriction, not a claim to any particular stretch of curb.
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Neighbors & Community
Snow, Ice, and Sidewalk Clearing Duties
Clearing duties and fall liability are two different questions. A city ordinance can require you to shovel without making you liable, or in some states can do both.
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Neighbors & Community
Trees, Overhanging Branches, and Fallen Limbs
Trimming rights stop at the boundary line, and damage claims after a limb falls usually depend on whether the tree's owner knew the tree was unsound beforehand.
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City Hall & Public Services
Building Permits for Home Repairs and Renovations
Permits are required by the building code your state and city adopted. Structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work almost always needs one; finishes usually do not.
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City Hall & Public Services
Business Improvement Districts and Their Charges
Business improvement districts are formed by petition, assess the properties inside them, and fund supplemental services under a management plan the city approves.
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City Hall & Public Services
Code Enforcement Notices and How to Contest Them
Code enforcement notices set a deadline to fix and a separate, usually shorter, deadline to appeal. Both matter, and penalties often accrue daily once they pass.
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City Hall & Public Services
Filing a Claim Against a City for Property Damage
Claims against a municipality run on their own track: a statutory notice of claim, short deadlines, immunity defenses, and damage caps that do not apply to private defendants.
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City Hall & Public Services
Requesting Records From a City or County
Local records come under a state public records act, not the federal FOIA. Each state sets its own response deadlines, fee rules, exemptions, and appeal route.
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City Hall & Public Services
Sidewalk, Curb, and Street Tree Responsibilities
Cities generally own the sidewalk, curb, and planting strip, then assign much of the upkeep to the abutting property owner by ordinance. The split is set locally.
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City Hall & Public Services
Speaking at a Public Meeting and Open Meeting Laws
Open meeting acts are state laws requiring notice, agendas, and open sessions from local bodies, with narrow exceptions and a public comment period you can use.