Land Use, Zoning and Planning Lawyers in Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas 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."
Zoning serves several different purposes - but it its main 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 simply 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 conducted in residential areas.
What if My Property Violates Amarillo, Texas's Zoning Laws?
You have quite a few options if you find that a planned or current use of your property violates Amarillo, Texas'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 Amarillo, Texas'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.
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How Can a Amarillo, Texas Attorney Help?
If you are in the early stages of a major construction or remodeling project on your property, especially if it is in a residential area (where zoning laws tend to be most restrictive), you are likely to encounter one zoning law issue or another. Of course, having read this article, you should now be aware that you have rights when it comes to contesting a zoning law as applied to you. While such contests do not always come out on the side of the landowner, the assistance of a good Amarillo, Texas real estate attorney will greatly improve one's chances.
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Life in Amarillo
Amarillo is the seat of Potter County and largest city in the Texas Panhandle with over 175,000 residents according to the 2000 Census. Known to most as the "yellow rose of Texas," Amarillo is also the self-proclaimed "helium capital of the world" because the United States' most productive helium fields are located in town. Amarillo was originally known throughout the United States as a capital for cattle trade.The city's industry hasn't changed much, Amarillo is still the location where roughly 25% of the nation's beef supply is processed and is also home to the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. Tyson Foods is Amarillo's largest employer attesting to the meatpacking heritage of the city. Healthcare, the Amarillo Independent School District, and the City of Amarillo are other top employers. Bell Helicopter Textron operates and assembly plant in Amarillo which is responsible for the V-22 Osprey and Marine One assembly.
The Globe News Center for the Performing Arts in Amarillo houses the Amarillo Opera, Amarillo Symphony, and Lone Star Ballet in addition to concerts. For those who want the Texas Cowboy experience, Amarillo plays host to the Tri-State Fair and Rodeo as well as the World Championship Chuckwagon Roundup that is a food festival featuring staples cowboys and pioneers historically ate in the area. The World Championship Ranch Rodeo is put on by the Working Ranch Cowboys Association and attracts accomplished cowboys from around the world. There's even a weekly cattle auction that's free to the public named the Amarillo Livestock Auction. The American Quarter Horse Association and Hall of Fame is another internationally known Amarillo organization.
