Oak Creek Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Oak Creek, WI

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Wisconsin

Oak Creek, Wisconsin has a fairly considerable number of laws that dictate how specific 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 critical 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. Usually, localities are divided up into "zones," which are designated for specific categories of use, such as single-family residence, business, manufacturing, etc.

There are a lot of rationales and purposes for zoning laws. In general, they're based in common sense: chemical plants shouldn't be constructed next to daycare centers, pig farms should not be constructed in the middle of a residential neighborhood, and other simple principles similar to that. Zoning laws, by keeping conflicting land uses separate, make life easier for all parties, ensuring that property values will be preserved, and that necessary industries can be conducted where they will not bother anyone.

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 useful by helping it prevent costly nuisance lawsuits.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Oak Creek, Wisconsin

If something on your property is in violation of an Oak Creek, Wisconsin zoning law, the landowner has various avenues.

The most noticeable 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 extremely costly, this is likely the ideal way to go.

However, it isn't always practical or affordable to correct a minor violation of a zoning law. For instance, 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 Oak Creek, Wisconsin'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 certain provision of a zoning law to a single violation. These aren't always granted, but usually 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.

Moreover, if you have been residing on your property for a long time, and made improvements on it that complied with the zoning laws in effect at the time, a new zoning law that would be violated by your prevailing use of your property, the new law cannot be enforced against you. The U.S. Constitution bars the passage of "ex post facto," or retroactive, laws. Once the laws take effect, however, you'll have to comply with the new zoning laws with respect to any new improvements you want to make on your property.

What Can A Oak Creek, Wisconsin Attorney Do?

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 conflict will be markedly improved if you hire an efficient Oak Creek, Wisconsin real estate attorney to help.

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Life in Oak Creek

Oak Creek, Wisconsin is a city in Milwaukee County. It has a population of about 30,000 people. Oak Creek is a suburb of Milwaukee, the largest city in Wisconsin. Until the 1950s, Oak Creek was mostly semi-rural farmland. It was incorporated in 1955, out of unincorporated county land. This move was orchestrated by Tony Basile, who would become Oak Creek's first city attorney. The people of Oak Creek decided to incorporate into a town so the area would not be annexed by the rapidly-expanding Milwaukee. Oak Creek is the headquarters of Midwestern Airlines, a small regional commuter airline, and the source of hundreds of jobs in the area. However, the parent company of the airline is moving its headquarters to another city. Since that announcement, a large mining equipment company announced that it would be moving its headquarters to Oak Creek, Wisconsin, to occupy the corporate offices being vacated by the airline. If you live in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and are in need of some type of legal help, Oak Creek, Wisconsin lawyers are ready to help. Oak Creek, Wisconsin lawyers can handle almost any legal problem a person might be faced with.

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