All Forum Posts by: Gerald Beck

Thank you @Frank Chin for sharing your past experience. Any suggestions for finding a local expeditor. The property is in Galion, Ohio. I am not sure if this is too small of an area to have expeditors, but my searching has led me to multiple Ohio companies, with the closest being 1.5 hours away in Cleveland. Is it still worth looking into this company with them not knowing the politics in the area or go a different route?

Just to update. I talked with a land-use planner. Due to conflicts she could not take me on but did give some advice. My best chance is the utility company getting back to me about when the 3 units were first billed with separate meters. This has been troublesome due to the city utility company not actually getting back with me so far. 

If it ends up being an illegal-non conforming then I plan on appealing at a board meeting. Not sure my argument will stand a chance but rentals are badly needed in this area and it has been used as an illegal non-conforming triplex in the past. 

If this doesn't work then I plan on arguing it being a legal non-conforming duplex, keep the 3 units, but just combine the utilities for two of the units. 

My last resort would be if the house was zoned as a single-family. I would combine them all on one meter, keep the three units, and put utilities in my name. From what I am told, this option depends on what defines a single-family in my area and how many non-related people can live in a house together. 

Has anyone heard of the board of appeals in a city going against the zoning law or allowing special permission for a particular use? Is this common?

Thank you for the suggestions, Gregg! I called the county assessor and have the following information:

-From the county assessor I found: earliest documentation of 3 units was 1998 and the earliest record of zoning of this property as a triplex was 1999 (this was on the property card)

-Problem: Official zoning in of that area of the city in 1998 only allowed for a duplex, even though the auditor's site has the property listed as a triplex, and the property was used as a triplex.

-I have not heard back about the permit yet. 

If I can't find that the house was converted pre-1990 so that it is legal non-conforming, do I have a leg to stand on? I mean the city did allow its use for a long time as a triplex. That is even with city-controlled water meters. 

Can an illegal non-conforming triplex become a legal non-conforming duplex? Or since I would be removing a unit is it no longer "grand fathered" in?

Haven't heard, read, or ran into this before. I purchased a house that was listed as a triplex on the auditor's site. It has three separate meters and looks as if it was done properly. When I went to get the city ran electric turned on in my name, the city ran electric company only turn on the electricity for one unit. They said that the area where the house is, has not been zoned for a triplex since 1990. They stated that I need to show proof that the house was converted before 1990 to be able to use it as a triplex. 

How do I show when it was converted? 

How do I find who owned the house prior to 1990? It is not listed on the auditor's site.

Any other suggestions for dealing with this issue?

Do I have a legal case here to go against the city with?

Message sent. Thank you, Remington!

I need a recommendation for a zoning-specific lawyer in north-central Ohio for a conflict I am having with the City of Galion. The property is roughly 1 hr north of Columbus, Ohio but I imagine that many of the zoning-specific law firms will be in Columbus or Cleveland. Thank you in advance!