Looks like blight. Or is it? And what can a locality do about it? One of the problem issues for Virginia local governments and their officials and employees across the state is how to deal with blight. Such structures, singular or in groups, can become a large problem to a community.  Often, historic structures fall [...]

J&D Partnership v. Board of Equalization Loudoun County Circuit Court, Civil Action No. 58503 In 2008, as the real estate market stagnated, the Loudoun County Board of Equalization (BOE) received a huge spike in assessment appeals, far more than in the past. This was especially true with appeals of assessments for commercial properties, which are [...]

The “long overdue award” for the 2010 General Assembly session goes to HB 1063, which finally provides that a board of zoning appeals will not be a party on appeal of its decisions to circuit court. Interestingly, the long-standing requirement to name the BZA was not statutory, but based upon the determination in a Virginia [...]

The General Assembly, Virginia Supreme Court and the Virginia State Bar have combined to make the job of our local Boards of Zoning Appeals (BZAs), and that of the local government attorney who deals with them, much more complicated. As a long-time county attorney and currently counsel to the Stafford County BZA, I have seen [...]