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On January 17, 2019, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Dalton Tomich client, the Church of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in its suit against Markham, Illinois. The suit raises several claims under the Religious Land Use Institutionalized Persons Act, […]
Read MoreIn May, the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (“NIFLA”) will be hosting its annual legal summit. NIFLA has asked Dalton & Tomich attorney Noel Sterett to present on how the Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”) can help pregnancy care ministries […]
Read MoreAlthough RLUIPA is mainly concerned withreligious discrimination, racial animus towards a religious organization falls within the ambit of RLUIPA’s very broad protection. On February 7, 2019, the Fourth Circuit, citing the legislative history of RLUIPA, emphasized that “zoning board members or neighborhood residents explicitly offerraceor […]
Read MoreOther than “Who owns the property of a local church under the United Methodist Trust Clause?” the question looming largest in the minds of most Methodist clergy members is “What happens to my pension after the General Conference in February 2019?” The short answer is […]
Read MoreYesterday, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Dalton Tomich client, the Church of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in its suit against Markham, Illinois. Honorable Judges Easterbrook, Flaum, and Brennan all agreed that the district court was wrong to reject […]
Read MoreYesterday, the Supreme Court took the unusual step of having a second round of oral arguments in the case of Knick v. Scott Township. As we wrote in October 2018, the property owner in the Knick case has asked the Court to overrule its 1985 decision in Williamson County […]
Read MoreSince its creation in 1968, the United Methodist Church has struggled to define itself. The adaption of cultural norms and the failure to define its basic theology has resulted in a dramatic decline in membership in the denomination. In the United States, for example, membership has […]
Read MoreZoning is often used as a tool to protect the haves from the have-nots. The haves are those who already have homes, schools, and places of worship in a community. The have-nots are those who come to a community in search of those things. Even […]
Read MoreOften, buyers purchase waterfront property assuming they have the right to access and use the water. If the neighbors in the community all agree and acquiesce to the use, the situation may continue for years without issue. However, when neighbor disputes arise, litigation may produce […]
Read MoreIn pursuing its charitable mission, a charity or church often accepts donations or solicits donations from donors.[1] In some cases, the donation comes after receipt of some product or service. If the donor receives something in return for the donation, the nonprofit has a duty […]
Read MoreIn my role as Administrative Bishop for the Church of God, quite often we are faced with issues that involve local governments and municipalities. Many of these issues that arise in dealing with entities are land use related. I have found Dalton & Tomich’s experience and expertise in this area to be a valuable resource and asset in every situation.
Never one time during a year-long litigation process did Dalton & Tomich demonstrate anything other than Christ-like professionalism. They managed the legal details, while we continued to do church. How they managed themselves, managed our case, and represented our church set the table for me and our church to be where we are today.
Dalton & Tomich’s expertise and experience helped us through a very difficult legal journey, ultimately achieving a favorable outcome. Their personal interest in helping us went “above and beyond” just the call of duty.