Aurora Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Aurora, IL

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Illinois

The laws controlling how land can and cannot be used in Aurora, Illinois are fairly complicated, and can be confusing to laypersons. This should provide a basic overview.

Municipal governments which practice zoning normally follow a similar scheme: the town or city is divided up into "zones," or areas in which particular types of use are permitted. For instance, the downtown area might be zoned for commercial and office use, and perhaps for large, multi-unit apartment buildings. The surrounding areas will normally be zoned for residential and small-scale commercial use, and the outskirts zoned for manufacturing and other heavy industry.

There are various different reasons that cities might engage in zoning - but it is typically designed around making cities more livable, by preventing conflicting uses from clashing with one another. After all, few people would want to live in a house next to a vacant lot, if there is a chance that somebody could decide to build a pig farm next door. The security provided by zoning laws helps uphold property values

On the other hand, zoning laws recognize and attempt to accommodate the necessity of factories and other industrial activities. They just seek to ensure that such activities are performed in a way that they don't conflict with the rights of adjacent landowners to use and enjoy their property in peace.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Aurora, Illinois

Suppose you find that some condition on your land is in violation of Aurora, Illinois's zoning laws. In cases like this, you have quite a few avenues.

The most discernible solution is to correct the problem, so your property is no longer in violation of local zoning laws. If the violation is minor, and correcting it would not be extremely costly, this is likely the ideal way to go.

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 typically be granted if the violation doesn't harm anyone, and enforcing Aurora, Illinois's zoning laws to the letter would not, in this case, advance their purposes.

Moreover, zoning ordinances cannot be applied against you retroactively. For instance, suppose you built a 3-story house on your property, and your property was zoned to allow 3-story houses to be built at the time of construction. And then, years later, the area you reside in is re-zoned, to only allow 2-story houses. Can the local government force you to remove a whole level of your house? Of course not. Applying a law retroactively is unconstitutional. On the other hand, any future changes you want to make to your property will have to comply with the applicable zoning ordinance as it is currently written.

What Can A Aurora, Illinois Attorney Do?

If you want to make improvements to your property, apply for a variance, or contest a zoning regulation as being applied to you retroactively, you have a right to do so, including some constitutional protections. However, your chances of prevailing in a zoning conflict will be markedly improved if you hire an efficient Aurora, Illinois real estate attorney to help.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Aurora

Although Aurora, Illinois may not be very well-known, there is certainly a lot to do here. Aurora is the second most populated city in Illinois. It is a suburb located approximately 40 miles from Chicago. Many know Aurora as the "City of Lights" because it was one of the first U.S. cities to implement an all-electric street lighting system.

Aurora also hosts many attractions perfect for families and tourists. People can enjoy a day at Blackberry Farm, the Aurora Historical Museum, Splash Country Waterpark, Hollywood Casino,and an exciting downtown filled with great boutiques and restaurants.

Aurora is also filled with many small law firms focusing on providing clients with excellent, personalized legal services. Firms and experienced attorneys in practically all areas of legal practice offer legal services to the citizens of Aurora. Therefore, no citizen's legal matter can remain unattended in Aurora, Illinois.

Clients Rate LegalMatch Attorneys
(click to read reviews)

Nicholas M.
Nicholas M.

Real Estate, Housing & Property Law

Golden, CO

Carl M.
Carl M.

Real Estate, Housing & Property Law

Seattle, WA

David A.
David A.

Real Estate, Housing & Property Law

Walnut Creek, CA