WARNING: If you are living or considering living in Platteville, this applies to you. Landowners and renters can be charged up to and including an infinite number of dollars by the city for circumstances out of their control. This is tyranny and I ask your support in helping to stop it by simply signing the online petition at the bottom of the page.

DETAILS: The city has very innocent seeing laws regarding snow removal. Specifically the law states, "4.09 [a] No owner of land within the city of platteville shall allow accumulations of snow or ice on any public sidewalk within the city for more than 36 hours." The problem with this ordinance is that it does not state how much money the city can charge to remove the snow. It also does not state how much snow needs to be there before the city has the right to charge the property owner or renter to remove it. Finally, it does not state how frequently the city may remove said snow at the cost of the property owner.

WHAT THIS MEANS: If there is a single ounce of snow on the sidewalk because of blowing, accumulation, a child placing a snowball on the sidewalk, a corrupt city official placing snow on the sidewalk, or any other reason [and it is in excess of 36 hours from the last snow fall] the city may now charge the owner. The city may charge a few dollars or more than the cost of the house. The city may charge to remove that one ounce of snow in increments of 1/10th of an ounce one second apart. In 10 seconds, the property owner or renter may owe up to an infinite number of dollars up to an infinite number of times. According to city officials, no warning or contract need be made to seize property in this manner, despite the constitution saying no man may be deprived of property without due process.

HOW TO APPEAL: Seek council with the city council, but they have refused on multitudinous accounts to even talk to the matter. There is no way of getting this before a judge, which makes it unconstitutional. Any law that does not follow the constitution is not a law and is binding of no one.

WHAT ACTIONS WERE TAKEN: The city managers and city council has been shown that they charged property owners to remove less snow than was left on the city streets via photographic evidence. This is unreasonable. They refuse to even discuss this matter further.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T PAY: The city will charge the property owner in taxes. The property owner will pass this along to the tenants.

WHAT CAN I DO TO STOP THIS ILLEGAL ACTIVITY: Please sign the petition. Hopefully this can be resolved by petition and enough voices calling out that this is wrong. If the petition is not successful, the next recourse is a class action lawsuit against the city, which will cost the city money, likely raise property taxes, and lower property values. Please help stop the tyrants.

BY SIGNING THIS PETITION, YOU AGREE THAT THEFT BY CITY OFFICIALS IN A MANNER THAT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL IS WRONG AND ASK THAT THE CITY REPEAL THE LAW AND CEASE COLLECTION ATTEMPTS ON ALL OUTSTANDING CHARGES, WHICH CONSTITUTE NOTHING SHORT OF ROBBERY.