Land Use, Zoning and Planning Lawyers in Orem, Utah
Orem, Utah 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.
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 example, 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 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.
While zoning laws appear to be geared just toward protecting residents, they also protect industry, by ensuring that they are free to conduct their business without getting caught up in the many legal disputes that would be inevitable if they were closer to a residential area.
What if My Property Violates Orem, Utah's Zoning Laws?
Zoning laws are often quite extensive and meticulous, and it's very possible that your property in Orem, Utah contains some minor zoning violation that you don't know about. If this happens to you, you have significant legal protections.
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 very costly, this is likely the best way to go.
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 Orem, Utah'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.
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.
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How Can a Orem, Utah Attorney Help?
If you find yourself facing zoning or other land use issues, it's important to have good legal advice. A good Orem, Utah attorney will help you work within the law to ensure that you are as free as possible to make the use of your land that you want.
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Life in Orem
Orem, Utah is a city of about 93,000 people, located in Utah County.Orem has nicknamed itself "Family City USA," and, living up to this moniker, it was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the 10 best places in the United States to raise a family. Orem, Utah was named after Martin C. Orem, a railroad magnate who operated a railroad in the area, and served as an early catalyst for its economic growth. Orem was formally incorporated as a town in 1919.
For most of its history, Orem was a small agricultural community. However, the years following World War Two saw booms in the nation's economy, population, and standard of living. This led to a huge amount of farm land giving way to residential developments.
Modernly, Orem, Utah's economy is largely based around Utah Valley University, which is the second-largest public university in Utah, with over 28,000 undergraduates. Orem is also home to many local businesses, as well as regional offices of larger corporations, creating a varied job market.
If you live in Orem, Utah and need an attorney, you're in luck. There's probably at least one Orem, Utah lawyer who can handle your particular legal issue, no matter what area of law is involved. If you need legal advice, you should contact an Orem, Utah lawyer immediately.
