PORTLAND – It’s a brave new winter wonderland that has pitted neighbor against neighbor with reports of derelict property owners leaving their sidewalks covered with a slippery mush of snow and ice.

The city received scores of calls on Tuesday from people reporting their neighbors in violation of a long-standing ordinance requiring homeowners and businesses to remove slippery snow and ice from their property.

Reports came in hours after a 7 a.m. deadline passed on Tuesday, and city officials said more than neighbors turned tattletales for the day. Some residents posed as unsuspecting pedestrians scouring the town for violators to report.

“They go out with their pencils and go to town,” said Maynard Sprague, a public works dispatcher who handled some of the complaints.

City officials said they had received complaints about 65 properties throughout Portland as of Tuesday afternoon.

The city is responsible for 85 miles of about 385 miles of sidewalks in Portland. Portland officials say they can save $500,000 a year if residents clear their own sidewalks. The city added fines last year to beef up the ordinance.

Fines for repeat offenses are $50 to $200 for residents and $250 for business owners, said Peter DeWitt, the city’s spokesman. Only those who make no effort to clear their sidewalks and driveways will be fined.

In Bangor, there is an ordinance for the downtown area that requires home and business owners to clear the sidewalks adjacent to their buildings, but outside of downtown, it’s up to the owner, Dana Wardwell, director of public works said Wednesday.

“We have three sidewalk plowers, with one spare,” Wardwell said Wednesday, referring to the small plows used for clearing sidewalks and parking lots. “We plow about 60 miles of sidewalk in the city – it’s a thankless job, but we keep it clear.”

DeWitt said inspectors in Portland would be closely monitoring sidewalks along busy commuter roads. The city mailed notices to businesses along certain road sections reminding them to keep their properties shoveled.

City employees also hung warning notices on violators’ doorknobs and will make return visits to the properties to see if any progress has been made.