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PREMISES LIABILITY: Superior Court holds ordinance requiring property owner to maintain public sidewalk only imposes a duty upon landowner owed exclusively to the city

The plaintiff brought suit against the defendant abutting landowner for negligence in failing to properly maintain the public sidewalk in front of owner’s property, causing the plaintiff’s injuries.

The Superior Court granted the defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment, holding that a defendant landowner owes a duty exclusively to the city where there is an ordinance requiring a landowner to properly maintain abutting public sidewalks.  The court follows the established rule of law that, absent an ordinance or statute shifting liability for a defective sidewalk from the city to the abutting property owner, there is no private right of action against an abutting property owner.

Linda Williams v. Town of East Hartford, et al., Superior Court, judicial district of Hartford, Docket No. CV186092390S (July 2, 2019)