Clarksville Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Clarksville, TN

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Tennessee

Clarksville, Tennessee has laws which govern how individual parcels of land can be used, and how they cannot. These rules aren't always simple, and this article should serve as an introduction to some of the most common issues that homeowners might face, though it is not meant to turn a layperson into an expert.

Local governments will usually divide the city or town into sections, called "zones," each of which is designated for a particular use, such as residential homes, commercial businesses, agriculture, manufacturing, etc. This process is known as "zoning."

The purpose of zoning is to preserve property values, and make towns and cities more livable. For example, without zoning laws, a company might be able to buy a vacant lot next to your house and build a noisy, smelly, dirty factory on it.

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.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Clarksville, Tennessee

Zoning laws are often quite extensive and meticulous, and it's very possible that your property in Clarksville, Tennessee contains some minor zoning violation that you don't know about. If this happens to you, you have significant legal protections.

First, and perhaps most obviously, you can correct the violation. If the violation is relatively minor, and correcting it would not cost you much or be a significant burden, this might be the best way to go.

Sometimes, however, a landowner wants to make improvements on their property which might constitute a slight violation of Clarksville, Tennessee's zoning laws. In this case, the owner can apply for a variance - an official agreement from the local government to not enforce a particular zoning regulation. Generally, variances are granted when the violation is very minor, and, enforcing the letter of the zoning law would not do much to advance its broader purpose.

Furthermore, zoning ordinances cannot be applied against you retroactively. For example, 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 live 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 Clarksville, Tennessee Attorney Do?

If you suddenly become involved in a zoning dispute with your local government, it's essential to seek competent legal representation. The counsel of an experienced Clarksville, Tennessee real estate attorney can make it much easier for you to act within the law to use your own property as you wish, or at least be as free as possible to make improvements to your land.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Clarksville

Clarksville, Tennessee is a city located in, and serving as the county seat of, Montgomery County. It has a population of over 132,000 people.

Clarksville was founded in 1785, making it the oldest incorporated city in Tennessee. However, human habitation of the area that now includes Clarksville, Tennessee dates back at least 11,000 years.

Modernly, Clarksville, Tennessee's economy is dominated by industry. Major industrial employers in Clarksville, Tennessee include American Standard, the Trane company (Clarksville's largest employer - a manufacturer of industrial ventilation equipment), and many others. In addition to employing a large number of blue-collar workers, these (and other) corporations also have many administrative employees, including accountants and Clarksville, Tennessee lawyers.

Because of the presence of large corporations, as well as a population of blue-collar workers, the lawyers of Clarksville, Tennessee are capable of handling a wide range of cases. So, if you need an attorney, chances are there's a lawyer in Clarksville, Tennessee who can help.

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