Land Use, Zoning and Planning Lawyers in High Point, North Carolina
In High Point, North Carolina, there are laws which determine what can and can't be done on given parcels of land. These laws get pretty involved sometimes, and aren't always very accessible to laypersons. This article should serve as a good overview of these laws.
"Zoning" refers to a set of laws and regulations which state what use can be made of land in different parts of a city or county. Generally, localities are divided up into "zones," which are designated for certain categories of use, such as single-family residence, business, manufacturing, etc.
Local governments have many different reasons for enacting zoning laws, ranging from ensuring that residential areas are peaceful and quiet, to protecting property values. For example, most people wouldn't buy a home in a neighborhood where they knew it was possible for a neighbor to turn their house into a factory.
On the other hand, zoning laws recognize and attempt to accommodate the necessity of factories and other industrial activities. They simply seek to ensure that such activities are conducted in a way that they don't conflict with the rights of adjacent landowners to use and enjoy their property in peace.
What if My Property Violates High Point, North Carolina's Zoning Laws?
You have quite a few options if you find that a planned or current use of your property violates High Point, North Carolina's zoning regulations.
It should be clear, however, that the ideal solution is to simply fix any condition on your property which is in violation of a local zoning law. If the violation is not serious, and correcting it won't significantly interfere with your use of your property, this is probably the best course of action.
However, it isn't always practical or affordable to correct a minor violation of a zoning law. For example, suppose you have just spent a large amount of money and effort remodeling a house to turn it into your dream home. You thought you were in total compliance with local zoning laws when you did this, but find out that there is some small, technical violation of High Point, North Carolina's zoning laws. In these cases, you have recourse in the form of a variance. You are entitled to petition the local zoning board to grant you a variance, which is an official decision not to apply a particular provision of a zoning law to a single violation. These aren't always granted, but generally have to be granted if the violation doesn't interfere with anyone else's use of their property, and doesn't thwart the purposes of local zoning laws.
Also, if the zoning laws covering your property have changed, and some aspect of it is now violating the new rules, these changes can generally not be enforced against you, because it would be unfair to apply a new law retroactively.
Find a High Point Lawyer that Specializes in Your Area of Need:
How Can a High Point, North Carolina Attorney Help?
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 dispute will be markedly improved if you hire an experienced High Point, North Carolina real estate attorney to help.
There are 64 Real Estate, Housing & Property Law cases posted in High Point
Cases Posted to LegalMatch listed by ZIP Code:Zoning Planning & Land Use Attorneys in the Largest NC Cities
Life in High Point
The City of High Point extends into Guilford, Davidson, Randolph, and Forsyth Counties and plays host to 102,000 North Carolina residents making it the eighth largest municipality in the state. You probably know High Point as the "Furniture and Hosiery Capital of the World" due to it's many manufacturing plants that churn out textiles, busses and of course furniture. The population nearly doubles each time the High Point Market opens with over 100,000 vendors and buyers from around the world flocking to the largest furnishings trade show in the world covering 11.5 million square feet.
High Point also plays host to a number of other interesting sites that attract visitors and citizens alike. The Angela Peterson Doll and Miniature Museum is one of the south's largest doll and miniature museums. The Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library retains the world's largest collection of books on the furniture and interior design, a Mecca for industry professionals. There are a number of lawyers in the town too. High Point lawyers are well versed in a variety of cases both local and statewide. The city is not all business, it also has a number of outstanding parks and recreational areas like High Point City Lake Park which is a recreation and amusement park offering boating, picnic areas, fishing, miniature gold, a water park, and the largest outdoor swimming pool in North Carolina.
