Elyria Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Elyria, OH

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Ohio

In Elyria, Ohio, there are laws which determine what can and can't be done on certain 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.

Municipal governments which practice zoning typically 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 typically be zoned for residential and small-scale commercial use, and the outskirts zoned for manufacturing and other heavy industry.

Zoning serves several different purposes - but it its major 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 just convert his property into a steel mill, your property's value as a residential lot would decrease significantly.

Zoning laws generally acknowledge the necessities of things like factories, sewage treatment plants, and stockyards, but recognize that such activities shouldn't be done in residential areas.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Elyria, Ohio

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

The most obvious 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.

What if, however, you've invested a significant amount of time and money into making an improvement on your property, only to find that it breaks your local zoning laws in some minor way? In this case, you can apply for a variance. This is essentially an exception to the zoning rules. If declining to enforce these rules would not harm anyone, and would not do much to advance the purpose of Elyria, Ohio's zoning laws, a variance will usually be granted.

You are also protected if your land is currently in complete compliance with local zoning regulations, but the area where your land sits is re-zoned, and your property is suddenly not in compliance with the new zoning regulations. Generally, these new regulations cannot be utilized to force you to change existing conditions on your property. No laws can be applied retroactively, under the U.S. Constitution. Of course, if you make any improvements on your land after the law changes, you'll have to comply with the new law.

What Can A Elyria, Ohio 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 dispute will be markedly improved if you hire an experienced Elyria, Ohio real estate attorney to help.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Elyria

Elyria, Ohio is a city located in Lorain County, of which it is the county seat. It has a population of about 55,000 people. Elyria was founded in 1817 by its namesake, Herman Ely. In 1908, Elyria Memorial Hospital opened, and it has since grown into a regional healthcare system which has won several awards for quality of care. Modernly, Elyria is a popular destination among visitors who enjoy outdoor activities. It boasts a very large number of parks, including Cascade Park, which is the larges and, by far, most popular park. It is home to the scenic East Falls, which are part of the Black River. Cascade Park is a popular sledding spot in the winter, and a good location to view the annual Independence Day fireworks display. Elyria, Ohio, in addition to sporting many locally-owned businesses, is home to the world headquarters of several major corporations, including BASF and Invacare. If you live in the area, and find yourself in need of an Elyria, Ohio lawyer, there's a good chance that at least one of the lawyers in Elyria, Ohio can help you.

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