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Right of Way & School Bus

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ajlang

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? GA

Our local public schools reopened Monday and a bus is now picking up and dropping off a new kid in our neighborhood. I have a sodded lawn and where my front yard meets the road there is a curve. The school bus has taken to using part of my lawn as a shortcut to avoid having to turn the bus on the curve. As of Wednesday night, there is about a 70' long and 2-3' wide area where the bus has completely destroyed the lawn where it meets the road. It is nothing but a big mud hole now. I contacted the transportation portion of the school system and provided pictures of the damage and of the school bus doing this, but their operations department tells me that since this lawn meets the road this area is in the "Right of Way" and they have a right to do that. My question is in right of way issues, does that give the county a right to damage your property at will? Is there anything I can do to file a claim with the county or school system or am I just out of luck?
Thanks in advance for the help.
Andy Lang
 


panzertanker

Senior Member
ajlang said:
What is the name of your state? GA

Our local public schools reopened Monday and a bus is now picking up and dropping off a new kid in our neighborhood. I have a sodded lawn and where my front yard meets the road there is a curve. The school bus has taken to using part of my lawn as a shortcut to avoid having to turn the bus on the curve. As of Wednesday night, there is about a 70' long and 2-3' wide area where the bus has completely destroyed the lawn where it meets the road. It is nothing but a big mud hole now. I contacted the transportation portion of the school system and provided pictures of the damage and of the school bus doing this, but their operations department tells me that since this lawn meets the road this area is in the "Right of Way" and they have a right to do that. My question is in right of way issues, does that give the county a right to damage your property at will? Is there anything I can do to file a claim with the county or school system or am I just out of luck?
Thanks in advance for the help.
Andy Lang
I do not know about your particular county, but most of georgia has a 6 foot from the center of the road-way right-of-way.
That means you are out of luck...
 

ajlang

Junior Member
Thanks

Thank you both for the info. I will check the ROW portion of my deed. I live in Coweta county. The county person told me that the right of way extended 9' from the centerline. I have been unable to find that printed anywhere, however. Are there usually provisions in applicable legislation that provide for compensation/repair if damage is done by a government vehicle in a right of way area - or for all practical purposes is this really considered their land?
 

BelizeBreeze

Senior Member
It's still your land but they have legal use. So don't plant in the ROW.
Find out from your deed how wide it extends and then if there is damage past that, file a claim with the county.
 

bdancer

Member
I don't know about Cowetta but my county has ordinances against parking or driving on grass. When the school bus driver put ruts in my newly sodded side yard, I got action by going up the chain of command.

Have you tried contacting your county road maintenance? If it's okay for the bus to drive thru your sod, maybe they can at least spread gravel or something to limit the mud hole.
 

ajlang

Junior Member
Issue

bdancer,
I have talked to a number of folks within the county on this, but all tell me that I basically have to grin and bear it. I called the county about putting gravel there, but they told me that was my responsibility. Out of curiosity, what action did you get from the county for your issue and was the damage done within a ROW?
 
Last edited:

HomeGuru

Senior Member
ajlang said:
bdancer,
I have talked to a number of folks within the county on this, but all tell me that I basically have to grin and bear it. I called the county about putting gravel there, but they told me that was my responsibility. Out of curiosity, what action did you get from the county for your issue and was the damage done within a ROW?

**A: it's your property so you can pave it.
 

bdancer

Member
ajlang said:
bdancer,
I have talked to a number of folks within the county on this, but all tell me that I basically have to grin and bear it. I called the county about putting gravel there, but they told me that was my responsibility. Out of curiosity, what action did you get from the county for your issue and was the damage done within a ROW?
Yes, it was within the ROW. Several other neighbors had similar complaints about this bus. However, it was NOT picking up kids in this area. The driver lived on the street and brought the bus home between runs.

After numerous calls up the chain of command, the driver isn't allowed to bring the bus home anymore.

I suggest being the squeeky wheel. Maybe the bus driver will learn how to keep the bus on the pavement if the boss gets tired of hearing from you.
 

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