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Homeowners May Soon Have To Pay For Snow Removal

Posted at 6:42 PM, Jan 29, 2014
and last updated 2014-01-29 22:58:35-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – With higher than normal snowfall and not high enough temperatures to melt it fast enough, homeowners may soon find themselves paying for snow removal.

Snow is no stranger to a Michigan winter. While most homeowners are accustomed to having their driveways plowed, it’s not often that they have to pay an extra fee to have it physically removed from their property.

Belinda Vanderbos, a 20-year plow truck driver, said crews are running out of places to put all the snow that’s fallen this winter.

“Compared to the last 20 years I’d say its one of the worst, if not the worst, for the pure fact of the cold temperatures,” she said. “It’s just not melting the snow and every day were getting more snow and more snow.”

While snow business, usually means good business for plow truck drivers, Vanderbos said it’s getting to a point where they soon won’t be able to do their job.

“Whether it’s ten inches or two inches of snow we still have to find a place to put it and with the mounds along the roads and the driveways there’s just nowhere to go with the snow anymore,” Vanderbos said.

Plow truck drivers aren’t allowed to push the snow into the streets. If they do they can be cited by the city. They’re required to leave the snow on the property who hired them.

Although Vanderbos said most homeowners are understanding of this rough winter and willing to pay the added fee to have the snow towed away, there are some private plow truck drivers who don’t have the means to tow it away, which means they might start to lose some business.