Spanish Fork Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Spanish Fork, UT

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Utah

Spanish Fork, Utah has laws which control 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 frequent issues that homeowners might face, though it is not meant to turn a layperson into an expert.

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

There are various different reasons that cities might engage in zoning - but it is normally designed around making cities more livable, by preventing conflicting uses from clashing with one another. After all, few people would want to live in a house next to a vacant lot, if there is a chance that somebody could decide to build a pig farm next door. The security provided by zoning laws helps uphold property values

Zoning laws typically 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 Spanish Fork, Utah

If something on your property is in violation of a Spanish Fork, Utah zoning law, the landowner has many avenues.

It should be apparent that the first option you should consider is to correct the violation. If doing this wouldn't cost you very much, or pose a massive inconvenience, you should obviously do this.

Of course, just fixing a zoning violation isn't always modest or easy, and may interfere with your planned use of your property. For instance, you might have just undertaken a considerable remodeling of your home, and later found out that some small part of it technically doesn't conform to Spanish Fork, Utah's zoning laws. If this happens to you, you can apply to your local zoning board for what's known as a "variance." This is simply a decree by the zoning board that the particular rule your property violates no longer applies. The Supreme Court has held that local zoning boards have to grant variances when the violation is extremely minor, and enforcing the ordinance would be unduly burdensome and not in the public interest.

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 Spanish Fork, Utah Attorney Do?

If you find yourself facing zoning or other land use issues, it's critical to have good legal advice. A seasoned Spanish Fork, Utah attorney will help you work within the law to ensure that you are as free as possible to make the use of your land that you want.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Spanish Fork

With fourteen parks, ten tennis courts, and eight playgrounds, Spanish Forks Utah is one very active city. Named after a nearby river, Spanish Forks was first founded by missionaries. Spanish Forks is now home to 32,000 residents. Spanish Forks is located in Utah County, and has a city manager form of government.

Spanish Forks is home to major events throughout the year including: The Wind Festival, Fiesta Days, Festival of Lights, and the Harvest Moon Hurrah. The annual festivals draw visitors from near and far. Spanish Forks is also a very religious city, with a heavy concentration of Latter Day Saints, a religion that was first established in the region in 1855.

In addition to many other talented professionals, Spanish Forks is also home to some great lawyers. Spanish Forks lawyers are skilled in a wide range of practice areas and available to help their local client with any legal issue he or she may be facing.

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