If a municipality believes you have violated its zoning ordinances, you may receive what is known as an “enforcement notice.” Responding to this notice within 30 days is critically important.
1
Determine how you want to proceed.
You have 30 days from receipt of the enforcement notice to decide whether you want to bring your property into compliance or file an appeal with the municipality’s zoning hearing board. If you agree that you may be in violation, then contact the municipality’s zoning officer to provide guidance on how to bring your property into compliance with the zoning ordinance.
2
If you want to appeal the enforcment notice.
If you believe that your use of the property is not in violation of the zoning ordinance or you want relief from the requirements of the ordinance, you must file an appeal/application with the municipality’s zoning hearing board. The filing of an appeal is very important if you wish to challenge the enforcement notice for two reasons. First and foremost, if you fail to file an appeal, the enforcement notice will be considered conclusive and binding with regard to the alleged violation. Second, if you fail to file an appeal, 30 days expire, and you continue to use your property in the manner which is alleged to violate the municipality’s zoning ordinance, you may be fined up to $500.00 per day for each day the violation continues.
3
Know your rights and obligations.
Zoning ordinances may be difficult to read and understand, especially where there are numerous cross references to other sections of the ordinance. Therefore you may want to talk with a lawyer about your receipt of an enforcement notice, or other matters involving your municipality’s zoning ordinances such as appealing the denial of a permit or making an application to the zoning hearing board.
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