Moreno Valley Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Moreno Valley, CA

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in California

The laws controlling how land can and cannot be used in Moreno Valley, California are fairly complicated, and can be confusing to laypersons. This should provide a basic overview.

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."

Zoning serves various different purposes - but it its general 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 just convert his property into a steel mill, your property's value as a residential lot would decrease considerably.

Zoning laws usually acknowledge the necessities of things like factories, sewage treatment plants, and stockyards, but recognize that such activities shouldn't be done in residential areas.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Moreno Valley, California

Zoning laws are frequently quite extensive and meticulous, and it's quite possible that your property in Moreno Valley, California contains some minor zoning violation that you don't know about. If this happens to you, you have substantial legal protections.

First of all, and most simply, the owner could just fix the violation. If the violation isn't very substantial, and fixing it wouldn't cost very much, this is likely the best and simplest option.

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 Moreno Valley, California'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, zoning ordinances cannot be applied against you retroactively. For instance, 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 reside 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.

What Can A Moreno Valley, California 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 Moreno Valley, California real estate attorney to help.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Moreno Valley

Moreno Valley sits in the Southwestern region of California near Riverside. As the second largest city in Riverside County, Moreno Valley plays host to the March Air Reserve Base and a number of its personnel. The base has been in and out of commission training pilots for the World Wars but has been very active since. It's also the top employer in Moreno Valley with over 9,000 employees. The other top employers include the Moreno Valley School District, Riverside County Regional Medical Center, and the expansive Moreno Valley Mall. The Moreno Valley Mall is home to some of the best shopping in Riverside County with a number of boutique and different designer stores.

The City of Moreno Valley is known for its diversity. After World War II a number of Central American and Latino groups moved to the area to take advantage of the available suburban housing. There are still a number of Mexican American shops catering to Latino immigrants. Additionally, the African American population in Moreno Valley has risen 15% since 2002 with more and more families seeking to get out of Los Angeles city limits. There are a number of Moreno Valley festivals like Cinco de Mayo.

Moreno Valley is a diverse community that also plays host to many knowledgeable lawyers who are familiar with Riverside County and California State courts and cases like criminal cases, divorce, personal injury, and wrongful termination lawsuits. Since residents come from so many different places, Moreno Valley lawyers are also well acquainted with U.S. Immigration Courts and procedures.

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