Hillsboro Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Hillsboro, OR

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Oregon

Hillsboro, Oregon has laws which regulate 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 prevalent issues that homeowners might face, though it is not meant to turn a layperson into an expert.

"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.

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 Hillsboro, Oregon

You have quite a few options if you find that a planned or prevailing use of your property breaks Hillsboro, Oregon'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.

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 Hillsboro, Oregon'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.

Additionally, if the zoning laws governing your property have changed, and some aspect of it is now violating the new rules, these changes can usually not be enforced against you, because it would be unfair to apply a new law retroactively.

What Can A Hillsboro, Oregon Attorney Do?

If you suddenly become involved in a zoning dispute with your local government, it's imperative to seek competent legal representation. The counsel of an efficient Hillsboro, Oregon real estate attorney can make it much easier for you to act within the law to use your own property as you wish, or at least be as free as possible to make improvements to your land.

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Life in Hillsboro

Hillsboro is the fifth largest city in Oregon, with a population of 91,611 per the 2010 census. Interestingly, Hillsboro is a high-tech center because many companies have established a presence there. In fact, Hillsboro's nickname is the "Silicon Forest."

High-tech companies in Hillsboro include Intel, Yahoo!, Sun Microsystems, Credence Systems, FEI Company, TriQuint Semiconductor, Lattice Semiconductor, RadiSys, Planar Systems, Genentech, Soloflex, and Rodgers Instruments. The legal force also has a presence in Hillsboro via many law firms (of all sizes), and law offices. These offices and firms train excellent attorneys tho handle all the needs of corporations, as well as local residents.

Some popular historic sites include Old Scotch Church, Imbrie Farm, McMenamins, Harold Wass Ray House, Zula Linklater House, Charles Shorey House, the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals, and Manning-Kamna Farm.

Some famous residents include Samuel Thurston, William N. Barrett, David Hill, William D. Hare, and Josh Inman.

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