1. Accidents. The State or the town shall not be liable for accidents while the road surface is covered with snow or ice. [PL 1981, c. 492, Pt. C, §15 (NEW).] 2. Snow fences. The Department of Transportation, the county commissioners or the municipal officers of any city or town may provide snow guards or snow fences along any state highways, state aid highways or town ways for the prevention of snow from encumbering the highways or town ways. The officials may erect snow guards or fences upon private property adjacent to highways or town ways. If they do not agree with the owner of the property with relation to the location of the guards or fences, the compensation to be paid to the owner or the time the guards or fences shall be maintained, the officials, before erecting the snow guards or snow fences upon the private property, shall give written notice of their intentions, to be posted for 7 days in 2 public places in the city or town in the vicinity of the location proposed for the erection of the guards or fences, describing the location and the time intended for the maintenance of the snow guards or fences, with such definiteness that the location may be understood readily. Within 5 days after a hearing thereon, the officials shall make a written return of their proceedings and findings to the registry of deeds in the county in which the location is situated, provided that they have therein decreed that any such snow guards or snow fences shall be maintained thereon permanently, or to the clerk of the city or town in which the location is situated, provided that they have therein decreed that the snow guards or snow fences shall be maintained during the winter season only for which they propose to erect them. In return, they shall state the amount of damages awarded the owner and the amount shall be paid within 30 days after return, by the State, city or town whose officials have authorized the construction or erection of the guards or fences. In case the owner of the property is aggrieved with the award of damages so made, or with any part of the decrees, within 30 days after the filing of the return, he may take an appeal therefrom by filing, in the Superior Court in the county where the guard or fence is located, a complaint requesting a new award or assessment of damages, and the court, after ordering such notice as it sees fit, shall thereupon determine the amount of damages sustained by the owners. The court may make any other change in the decree deemed proper. An appeal to the Superior Court vacates the original award. If the officials determine that the fences are to remain for the winter season only, and not permanently, then the fences shall be erected not before the 15th day of November nor remain occupying private property later than the next April 1st. Particular regard shall be exercised in the location of the fences so that the owners of private property shall be incommoded, as to view and otherwise, to as small a degree as possible. [PL 1981, c. 492, Pt. C, §15 (NEW).]
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