You have an official letter from a responsible town official responding to your query about zoning. Can you rely on that letter? What legal effect does it have? Consider this situation.

Malcolm Tucker’s troubles continue. Last year, shortly after he opened his new nightclub, Wally’s-A-Go-Go, the town revoked his permits because a former town staff person had erroneously issued zoning approvals (click for post on this issue). Although convinced it was … Read more

Do two wrongs ever equal a right in a zoning dispute? Suppose someone starts a business that is not allowed at that site under the zoning ordinance. One wrong. Suppose further that this was done after the town zoning inspector … Read more

UPDATE September 2013:  The North Carolina supreme court subsequently ruled that counties do not have statutory authority to impose school impact fees. That 2012 case is discussed here. The population of Partition County has grown dramatically over the past several … Read more

In her regular budget update for the town council, Mayor Juanita Beasley advised the council that the budget cuts implemented for the current fiscal year appeared to be adequate. She cautioned, however, that  the town’s budget outlook for next year … Read more

From the nation’s largest city to North Carolina’s smallest towns, land use regulation of religious uses can be particularly contentious. While the siting a mosque in lower Manhattan morphed from a local zoning dispute into a national political and policy … Read more

Eddie Haskell, a Maycomb town council member, dropped in on town manager Paul Proteus. After chatting a bit, he ventures “Quick question for you, Paul. I vaguely recollect that when we adopted the downtown revitalization plan last year, the council … Read more

Paul Proteus, the town manager of Maycomb, leaned back in his chair with a deep sigh. It was a quiet Friday afternoon. All of the week’s crises had passed. The parks staff and chamber of commerce folks just reported that … Read more

 Folks in the small town of Maycomb are riled up. The state recently funded construction of a new expressway that passes near the town. Most everyone in town likes that, as the new road will cut time off the trip … Read more

The city has just issued you a notice of zoning violation. Other folks are doing the same thing you are and none of them have been cited. You believe the citation was prompted by the personal animosity of a city … Read more