Land Use, Zoning and Planning Lawyers in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont has a fairly large number of laws that dictate how particular plots of real estate can and cannot be used, and what can and can't be built on them, and these laws aren't always easy to follow. This article won't make you an authority on the subject, but should introduce you to some of the most important concepts in zoning law.
"Zoning" refers to a set of laws and regulations which state what use can be made of land in different parts of a city or county. Generally, localities are divided up into "zones," which are designated for certain categories of use, such as single-family residence, business, manufacturing, etc.
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 Burlington, Vermont's Zoning Laws?
Zoning laws are often quite extensive and meticulous, and it's very possible that your property in Burlington, Vermont contains some minor zoning violation that you don't know about. If this happens to you, you have significant legal protections.
First of all, and most simply, the owner could just fix the violation. If the violation isn't very significant, and fixing it wouldn't cost very much, this is probably the best and easiest option.
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 Burlington, Vermont'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 Burlington, Vermont Attorney Help?
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 Burlington, Vermont real estate attorney to help.
There are 22 Real Estate, Housing & Property Law cases posted in Burlington
Cases Posted to LegalMatch listed by ZIP Code:Zoning Planning & Land Use Attorneys in the Largest VT Cities
Life in Burlington
Burlington is Vermont's largest city. It is located in Chittenden County and is approximately 45 miles from the U.S.-Canadian border. Per the 2010 census, it has a population of 42,417 people. Neighboring areas include South Burlington, Winooski, Colchester, Essex and Williston.An interesting fact is that Burlington has the sixth lowest unemployment rate of all surveyed metropolitan areas in the United States. Top employers include IDX Systems, Vermont Tedy Bear Company, General Dynamics, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Burton Snowboards, Bruegger's, and Seventh Generation Inc. Burlington is also home to many law offices and small firms practicing in virtually all areas of law, and providing their clients with excellent and personalized legal services.
Popular sites include the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Deck Towers, Burlington Square, and Cathedral Square.
Overall, Burlington is a charming place to visit or call home!
