Land Use, Zoning and Planning Lawyers in Margate, Florida
The laws governing how land can and cannot be used in Margate, Florida are fairly complex, and can be confusing to laypersons. This should provide a basic overview.
Localities typically divide their jurisdictions into segments, referred to as "zones," on which particular types of use are permitted. For example, one area of a town might be zoned for residential use, a nearby one for commercial use, and areas on the outskirts zoned for industrial use. This practice is called "zoning."
Zoning serves several different purposes - but it its main one is to increase or preserve property values by ensuring that conflicting uses don't result in legal disputes. Obviously, if you bought a house in a residential neighborhood, and your neighbor could simply convert his property into a steel mill, your property's value as a residential lot would decrease significantly.
Zoning laws don't exist just to protect residential use - it also protects people who engage in other types of use of land, by making sure that they are able to do their business, without bothering neighboring landowners, and thereby avoiding legal disputes.
What if My Property Violates Margate, Florida's Zoning Laws?
If a condition on your property violates the local zoning laws of Margate, Florida, there are a few different solutions.
It should be obvious that the first option you should consider is to correct the violation. If doing this wouldn't cost you very much, or pose a major inconvenience, you should obviously do this.
But what happens if you've invested a large amount of effort and money into improving your land, and you later discover that you've committed some relatively minor zoning violation? You are generally entitled to seek what is known as a "variance" in these cases. A variance is simply when your local government makes a small exception to the zoning rules to accommodate a small violation that would be difficult to fix. A variance will usually be granted if the violation doesn't harm anyone, and enforcing Margate, Florida's zoning laws to the letter would not, in this case, advance their purposes.
You also have significant protections if a zoning law changes, and you find that the land you've been living on for years is suddenly in violation of the new law. In general, zoning laws cannot apply to structures and uses which were built or commenced before the law was changed. Under the U.S. Constitution, it's not permissible for state or local governments to pass laws which have retroactive effect. You should know, however, that any future changes you make to your property will have to comply with the new zoning law.
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How Can a Margate, Florida Attorney Help?
If you are in the early stages of a major construction or remodeling project on your property, especially if it is in a residential area (where zoning laws tend to be most restrictive), you are likely to encounter one zoning law issue or another. Of course, having read this article, you should now be aware that you have rights when it comes to contesting a zoning law as applied to you. While such contests do not always come out on the side of the landowner, the assistance of a good Margate, Florida real estate attorney will greatly improve one's chances.
There are 279 Real Estate, Housing & Property Law cases posted in Margate
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Life in Margate
Margate is a part of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach metropolitan area. Margate has an approximate population of 54,000 people.Two of the most popular attractions in Margate include Sparez and the Eagle Lakes Golf Course. Margate is filled with many naturistic spots where residents and tourists can sit back, relax, and enjoy nature!
Being so near Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Margate residents have available to them a plethora of law firms that train excellent attorenys. These attorneys are highly-qualified to handle both simple and complex legal matters.
All in all, Margate offers residents a small town feel with a unified, community-like spirit.
