Ulmer & Berne’s real estate attorneys regularly work with our Public Law attorneys to advise and counsel clients with respect to zoning compliance, land use and planning. We represent business owners and individuals in a wide array of zoning compliance questions, including permitted land and building uses and compliance with building and zoning codes. We have significant experience working collaboratively with municipal zoning and building officials and appearing before boards of zoning appeals, boards of building standards, and planning commissions to resolve or challenge issues for clients. When necessary, we have experience representing clients in litigation on the municipal, common pleas and appellate levels against claims of zoning and land use violations.
Examples of projects include: clarifying zoning and use compliance with municipalities; obtaining zoning verification letters, use permits and affirmative title insurance over recorded land use restrictions; obtaining variances to use properties for uses otherwise disallowed under zoning and/or building codes; defending property owners against alleged zoning violations, challenging the constitutionality of retroactive provisions in municipal zoning codes and lobbying against re-zoning initiatives targeting property owners.