Legal Definitions - front-foot rule

Front-Foot Rule

The front-foot rule is a method used by local governments to divide the cost of public improvements among properties that benefit from them. Under this rule, the total cost of an improvement, such as a new sidewalk, sewer line, or street paving, is distributed among adjacent properties based on the length of each property's boundary that faces the improvement (its "frontage"). A key characteristic of this rule is that it applies the cost proportionally to frontage, without considering the specific level of benefit each individual property might receive from the improvement.

• Imagine a suburban street where the city decides to install new streetlights. The total cost of the project is calculated, and then each homeowner along that street is assessed a portion of the cost based on the length of their property line that runs parallel to the street. So, if a property has a 100-foot frontage, it would be charged twice as much as a property with a 50-foot frontage, regardless of whether one home might benefit more from the lighting due to its specific layout or usage. This illustrates the front-foot rule because the assessment is strictly proportional to the property's street-facing length.

• Consider a town that is upgrading its aging water main system along a particular commercial avenue. Businesses located on this avenue are assessed a special charge to cover the improvement costs. A small boutique with a 25-foot storefront would pay a smaller share than a large department store with a 150-foot frontage, even if the boutique uses significantly more water or generates more revenue. The assessment under the front-foot rule is tied solely to the linear feet of their property bordering the street where the water main is located, not to their water usage or business size.

• A residential neighborhood decides to pave a previously unpaved road. The local municipality applies the front-foot rule to distribute the paving costs among the homeowners. A corner lot, which might have two sides bordering the newly paved road, would have its frontage calculated by adding the lengths of both sides that face the improvement. This means the corner lot owner would pay a higher assessment than an interior lot owner with only one side facing the road, even if both properties are the same overall size or use the road equally. The rule focuses purely on the linear measurement of the property's contact with the improvement.