Responsible Maintaining Sidewalk City Homeowner Power Home's Built

In U.S. cities, most "single-family residences" (homes built for one family to live in, not an apartment building) are built next to a road and separated from that road by a "lawn" (an area with grass and other plants) and a "sidewalk" (a paved area where people can walk and where cars are not allowed to drive). The "homeowner" (the person who owns the home) or "renter" (the person who pays money each month to live somewhere) is responsible for maintaining the home's "exterior" (outside parts, like walls, windows, and doors) and "walkways" (paths from the sidewalk to the house).

City "ordinances" (laws; rules) determine who is responsible for maintaining the sidewalk in front of the house. In many cases, the homeowners are responsible for it. If a tree "root" (the part of a plant that is underground and not seen) grows and pushes up the sidewalk so that it cracks and becomes a problem for walkers, the homeowner needs to pay to have it fixed. "Otherwise" (if that doesn't happen), a "passerby" (someone who is walking past the home) might trip, get "hurt" (injured), and "sue" (go to court and ask for money) the homeowner for "negligence" (not taking care of something as one should). In other cases, the city maintains the sidewalks.

The city or the "utility" (a company that provides water, electricity, natural gas, or similar services) is usually responsible for maintaining "power lines" (cables that carry electricity) and "poles" (tall pieces of wood that hold up power lines) along the street. However, the homeowner and/or the utility are usually responsible for maintaining the power lines that "lead" (go) from the main power lines to the home.