Land Use Law

Different land use zones allow landowners to use property in a particular way. For example, commercial zones are often best suited for retail sales, agricultural and rural zones are often best for farm uses, etc. However, each county has dozens of different zones, each with enumerated and prohibited uses. Certain types of land uses are only allowed through a land use permit. Each local jurisdiction has a number of different types of land use applications and specific application procedures. Navigate Law Group can guide you through the process, help you complete the right application, and correspond with your local land use office on your behalf.

You may find your local land use code doesn’t allow you to use the land the way you want, even with a permit. In order to use land in a way that conflicts with the applicable zoning ordinances, it may be necessary to change your zone. Navigate Law Group can help you understand the criteria to apply for a zoning change or determine whether a zone change is even necessary.

Land use regulations change from time to time, but what does that mean for an existing landowner? If you have been using land legally, but regulations have changed such that your land use is no longer allowed, you may be eligible to apply for a special type of land use permit called a non-conforming use determination. These applications are technical in nature and fact-specific, so please contact our firm for assistance.

When a local land use official cites a landowner with a violation of a local ordinance, the landowner has a number of procedural rights, including the right to a hearing. However, the timeline to demand a hearing is often very short. If someone has alleged you violated a land use ordinance, call Navigate Law Group today to help you build a case and represent you before a hearings examiner, if necessary. Depending on the unique facts of your case, our firm may even be able to head off some of these issues before they even begin. Don’t wait until it’s too late; the sooner you contact us, the more we can do for you.