Murfreesboro Zoning Attorney

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

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Tennessee

Murfreesboro, Tennessee has laws which regulate 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 prevalent issues that homeowners might face, though it is not meant to turn a layperson into an expert.

Local governments will typically divide the city or town into sections, called "zones," each of which is designated for a specific 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 instance, without zoning laws, a company might be able to purchase a vacant lot next to your house and create a noisy, smelly, dirty factory on it.

Zoning also serves the interests of industry, as well as residents. By ensuring that there are places where heavy industry can take place, well-planned zoning regulations will ensure that industrialists are free to practice their trade, and that residents will not be disturbed by those activities, which makes industry more feasible by helping it prevent costly nuisance lawsuits.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Murfreesboro, Tennessee

If something on your property is in violation of a Murfreesboro, Tennessee 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 Murfreesboro, Tennessee'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 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. Usually, 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 Murfreesboro, Tennessee Attorney Do?

If you suddenly become involved in a zoning dispute with your local government, it's imperative to seek competent legal representation. The counsel of an efficient Murfreesboro, 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.

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Life in Murfreesboro

Murfreesboro is located in Rutherford County, Tennessee. It has a population of around 108,800 people. Some see the city as a suburb of Nashville, which is 35 miles from Murfreesboro. The city is well-known in Tennessee because it is home to Middle Tennessee State University. The university is the largest undergraduate university in the state!

Popular sites include the Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, Oaklands Historic House Museum, Stones River Greenway Arboretum, and Stones River National Battlefield.

Top employers include MAHLE Tennex, General Mills, Verizon Wireless, and Johnson Controls, Inc.

The city is also home to many well-established law offices and small firms that train excellent attorneys to handle any and every legal need.

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