Texas City Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Texas City, TX

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Texas

Texas City, Texas has laws which govern 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 common issues that homeowners might face, though it is not meant to turn a layperson into an expert.

Municipal governments which practice zoning typically follow a similar scheme: the town or city is divided up into "zones," or areas in which particular types of use are permitted. For example, the downtown area might be zoned for commercial and office use, and perhaps for large, multi-unit apartment buildings. The surrounding areas will typically be zoned for residential and small-scale commercial use, and the outskirts zoned for manufacturing and other heavy industry.

Zoning serves several different purposes - but it its basic 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.

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

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Texas City, Texas

Zoning laws are often quite extensive and meticulous, and it's very possible that your property in Texas City, Texas contains some minor zoning violation that you don't know about. If this happens to you, you have significant legal protections.

The most apparent 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 very costly, this is likely the best way to go.

What if, however, you've invested a significant amount of time and money into making an improvement on your property, only to find that it violates your local zoning laws in some minor way? In this case, you can apply for a variance. This is essentially 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 Texas City, Texas's zoning laws, a variance will usually be granted.

Additionally, if you have been living 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 current 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 Texas City, Texas Attorney Do?

If you are in the early stages of a major construction or remodeling project on your property, especially if it is in a residential area (where zoning laws tend to be most restrictive), you are likely to encounter 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 assistance of a good Texas City, Texas real estate attorney will greatly improve one's chances.

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Life in Texas City

Texas City has a population of 43,000 and is located in Galveston County, Texas. It is one of the busiest deepwater port cities located in the Texas Gulf Coast area. The Port of Texas City is the eighth largest port in the nation and Texas' third largest port.

Texas City's economy has traditionally been supported by both shipping and heavy industry. Industries include petroleum production and petrochemical refining. The Texas City Industrial Complex located in the city is a leading producer in the petrochemical market. Recently city planning has diversified the economy to include other sectors like health care and tourism.

In addition to its industrial presence, Texas City is known for its beautiful parks and wildlife preserves. Many parks are part of the "Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail", where one can see large flocks of birds in spectacular numbers. Favorite parks to visit are Bay Street Park and Nessler Park. Nessler Park is the site for the city's annual "Music Fest by the Bay".

Texas City lawyers can assist you by filing legal claims with the Texas City Municipal Court. The municipal court is authorized to oversee a variety of legal issues. Lawyers in Texas City, Texas provide legal services which meet the unique demands of the city's economy.

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