Simi Valley Zoning Attorney

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

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in California

The laws controlling how land can and cannot be used in Simi 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 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 Simi Valley, California

You have quite a few options if you find that a planned or prevailing use of your property breaks Simi Valley, California's zoning regulations.

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.

What if, however, you've invested a substantial amount of time and money into making an improvement on your property, only to find that it breaks your local zoning laws in some minor way? In this case, you can apply for a variance. This is typically an exception to the zoning rules. If declining to enforce these rules would not harm anyone, and would not do much to advance the purpose of Simi Valley, California's zoning laws, a variance will typically be granted.

You are also protected if your land is currently in complete compliance with local zoning regulations, but the area where your land sits is re-zoned, and your property is suddenly not in compliance with the new zoning regulations. Usually, these new regulations cannot be utilized to force you to change existing conditions on your property. No laws can be applied retroactively, under the U.S. Constitution. Of course, if you make any improvements on your land after the law changes, you'll have to comply with the new law.

What Can A Simi Valley, California Attorney Do?

If you are in the early stages of a major construction or remodeling project on your property, particularly if it is in a residential area (where zoning laws tend to be most restrictive), you are likely to confront 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 guidance of a reliable Simi Valley, California real estate attorney will greatly improve one's chances.

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Life in Simi Valley

Simi Valley is a suburb located in beautiful Southern California, bordering San Fernando Valley and the greater Los Angeles area. Simi Valley is surrounded by the Santa Susana Mountain range and the Simi Hills; therefore is known for gorgeous sites that emphasize Mother Nature's beauty. With such an appeal also labels the area as a high-risk location for wildfires.

Simi Valley has been pictured in many popular Hollywood movies including Poltergeist, Little House on the Prairie, The Thorn Birds, Bachelor Party, and The Doberman Gang.

Top employers in the area include the school districts and hospitals, as well as Farmers Insurance Group, AeroVironment, Vons, Meggitt Safety Systems, Wal-Mart, Milgard Manufacturing, and Rancho Simi Parks Recreation District.

Southern California is home to many law school and firms of all sizes. Moreover, many ivy-league educated attorneys make Southern California their home after graduation. Thus, the legal force in and near Simi Valley is served by brilliant attorneys who are trained by some of the largest firms. Also, the vast number of firms bring about fierce competition and competitive pricing for Simi Valley residents. All in all, Simi Valley residents can rest assured that any legal inquiry of theirs can be handled by the legal industry in and around Simi Valley.

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