Naperville Zoning Attorney

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

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Illinois

The laws controlling how land can and cannot be used in Naperville, 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 a lot of rationales and purposes for zoning laws. In general, they're based in common sense: chemical plants shouldn't be constructed next to daycare centers, pig farms should not be constructed in the middle of a residential neighborhood, and other simple principles similar to that. Zoning laws, by keeping conflicting land uses separate, make life easier for all parties, ensuring that property values will be preserved, and that necessary industries can be conducted where they will not bother anyone.

Zoning laws don't exist just to protect residential use - it also protects persons 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 preventing legal disputes.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Naperville, Illinois

If something on your property is in violation of a Naperville, Illinois zoning law, the landowner has various avenues.

Initially, and perhaps most apparently, you can correct the violation. If the violation is comparatively minor, and correcting it would not cost you much or be a substantial burden, this might be the best way to go.

Of course, just fixing a zoning violation isn't always inexpensive or easy, and may interfere with your planned use of your property. For instance, you might have just undertaken a substantial remodeling of your home, and later found out that some small part of it technically doesn't conform to Naperville, Illinois's zoning laws. If this happens to you, you can apply to your local zoning board for what's known as a "variance." This is simply a decree by the zoning board that the particular rule your property violates no longer applies. The Supreme Court has held that local zoning boards have to grant variances when the violation is quite minor, and enforcing the ordinance would be unduly burdensome and not in the public interest.

You also have substantial 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.

What Can A Naperville, Illinois Attorney Do?

If you are in the process of physically altering your property, you are almost sure to face some concerns having to do with local zoning laws. If you find that zoning laws are making it very challenging to use your property as you see fit, you may have legal recourse, typically in the form of a variance. Of course, your chances of success in any zoning dispute will be immeasurably increased if you have the assistance of a qualified Naperville, Illinois attorney.

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Life in Naperville

Naperville, Illinois is a city in DuPage and Will Counties. It has a population of 140,000 people.

In 2006, Money Magazine

named Naperville, Illinois the second best place to live in the United States.

Naperville was founded in 1831 by Joseph Naper. Throughout most of its history, Naperville was a rural agricultural community. However, it began to experience a population boom in the 1960s, whichaccelerated in the 80s and 90s, with the construction of a major tollway into the Naperville, Illinois area.

Modernly, Naperville is in the heart of the Illinois Tech and Research Corridor, an area in which a large number of technology companies do business. It is sometimes called the Silicon Valley of the Midwest. Many of these companies, including BP, Nicor, and Nalco, employ large number of engineers, as well as administrative personnel. Many Naperville, Illinois lawyers are employed by these companies.

If you live in Naperville, Illinois and are in need of legal services, there are a large number of Naperville, Illinois attorneys who can help. A Naperville, Illinois lawyer will be able to advise you of your legal rights, and your chances of succeeding in your legal dispute.

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