I can’t figure out why this made the news, unless it was simply to point out the irresponsibility of the homeowners.  Why would they think that the county would ever foot the bill for maintaining private property?

We live on a private road as well. With it being a private road it has always been our responsibility to keep it up, which was our choice. Years ago the county would fill the holes where our road meet the public highway. But they stopped doing that along time ago. Off and on over the passed 20 years we have called the county trying to turn the road over but they refuse. We have been told multiple times they do not take private roads anymore that they can barely take care of what they have now. Be prepared if you call to be transfered multiple times.

rolltide:  I do know that in the subdivision that we built we had to put up X amount of dollars in a CD at a local bank that is suppose to generate enough interest to pay for upkeep to said retention pond.  It kinda works like a “perpetual care cemetery fund.”  I also know that when we built the subdivision that we found out BEFORE HAND what the County would require as far as the roads being built so that we could deed the maintenance over to the county.  Only once did we have to repair our roads and that was after IVAN when we had so much rain that a small section 4ft x 6 ft collapsed from all the run off.

Poor planning on the part of the homeowners does not constitute an emergency on the part of the taxpayers.

You know on a rather serious note, I do hate that these people are stranded, but come on, they have been repairing this road all these years by themselves.  Haven’t they thought, hmm, let’s get together and relinquish our rights to this road, make it a public road and let the county fix it.

Well you pay taxes when you renew your tag right? Well then acording some because you pay taxes the government should be responsible for everything in your life otherwise you can stop paying taxes and fix it yourself.

Will they maintain my vehicles for me too or is this just limited to real property?

So I would guess MAWSS is responsible for my leaky faucet, City garbage is responsible for taking my garbage out to the road, Mobile Gas is responsible for loss money due to me burning supper, Alabama Power is responsible for the blown bulb in the closet, and County highway department is responsible for the wear on my new tires.  I love this someone else is responsible thing we have here.  This sure makes it easier for me on weekends when the wife wants me to hit the old “honey do” list, I can tell her call the people responsible cause I’m watching “MSNBC”

Well why don’t we ask the city/county to just do all the upkeep.  Cuz I really dislike cutting grass.

As a matter of fact,  the retention pond in my subdivision needs to be dredged and cleaned.  It is common property.  I wonder if the county will pay for that?

If the road was deemed “common property”, they should have set up some type of POA a long time ago.  They could have collected dues all along to maintain the common property.  Personal responsibility, not tax payer responsibility.