RLUIPA
Court affirms a Church’s use of its parking lot for Ministry
Court order allows Pass-A-Grille Beach Community Church to Continue Offering Free Parking to the Public. A federal court in Tampa has entered a preliminary injunction against the City of St. Pete Beach, Florida, protecting a church’s right to keep its parking lot open to the […]
Read MoreProtecting Homeless Ministries and Shelters under Federal Religious Land Use Law
Winter will soon be here and with it another round of headlines which read “City Shuts Down Church’s Homeless Ministry.” Every year, these stories pop up all across the country. Their facts are often the same, and they often end with men, women, and children […]
Read MoreCelebrating the 22nd Anniversary of the Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act by Highlighting 22 of Our Top Religious Land Use Cases
Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, often referred to by its acronym RLUIPA (ruh-loopa). In just over two decades, this little-known federal law has protected thousands of religious institutions across the country from unequal and burdensome zoning […]
Read MoreDalton & Tomich secures $145,000 and building permit for the Church at Jackson in federal suit against Hinds County, Mississippi
In violation of the Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), the county had denied the church permission to build and worship on its six-acre parcel of land Detroit—-July 18, 2022—Dalton & Tomich, a firm nationally known for protecting the legal rights of religious […]
Read MoreCourt orders City of St. Pete Beach to pay $250,000+ of church’s attorney fees in case involving church’s provision of free parking
In violation of federal law, city sought to forbid Pass-A-Grille Beach Community Church from allowing the public to park for free in its private lot near the beach Media Contacts: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, barbara@eafocus.com, 248.260.8466; Noel Sterett, nsterett@daltontomich.com, 815-986-8050 St. Pete Beach, Fla.—April 27, […]
Read MoreSupreme Court Unified on Strength of the Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act
If you only pay attention to the hot-button cases that make the nightly news, you may think the Supreme Court is deeply divided in most of its cases. This is simply not true. The Supreme Court issues far more unanimous decisions than 5-to-4 decisions. One […]
Read MorePublic School Closings Open Door to Religious Schools and Set Stage for State and Local Legal Battles
Hundreds of thousands of parents across the country just learned that their local public schools will be closing. In Chicago alone, 330,000 students will be denied in-person instruction. Panicked parents, who are already familiar with the difficulties and inadequacies of remote learning, are looking for […]
Read MoreReligious Land Use & the Church: Client Testimonial and Virtual Roundtable series
Church Law & Tax is a leading resource for church leaders looking for guidance on legal and tax issues affecting religious institutions. Recently, Dalton & Tomich attorney Noel Sterett worked with Church Law & Tax to put together a series of videos to help pastors […]
Read MoreDalton & Tomich wins injunction against Hinds County, Mississippi on behalf of The Church at Jackson
County’s zoning ordinance violates Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) Media Contacts: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications; barbara@eafocus.com; 248.260.8466; Noel Sterett; nsterett@daltontomich.com; 815.997.7221 Detroit—-September 27, 2021—National law firm Dalton & Tomich announced it has won an injunction on behalf of the Church at Jackson […]
Read MoreDan Dalton named a “Go-To” Real Estate Lawyer by Michigan Lawyers Weekly
Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications; barbara@eafocus.com; 248.260.8466 Detroit—July 26, 2021—Daniel Dalton, co-founder of Detroit-headquartered law firm Dalton & Tomich PLC, has been named a Michigan “Go-To” Lawyer for Real Estate by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. The publication’s “Go-To” Lawyer honor spotlights Michigan lawyers who are […]
Read MoreMississippi Church Files Suit Against Hinds County for Treating Religious Assembly Uses Unequally
On April 27, 2021, we filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of The Church at Jackson against Hinds County, Mississippi for violating the “equal terms” provision of the Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”), 42 U.S.C. 2000cc(b)(1). Last year, the church acquired a […]
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The attorneys of Dalton & Tomich, PLC have the experience and the knowledge to work with you to develop a legal solution that helps accomplish your goals. Our collaborative approach has helped leaders like you grow businesses and banks, develop and expand churches, and build nonprofit organizations nationwide.
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Mitchell CorderAdministrative Bishop Church of God, Tennessee
In 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.
Tim RhodusLead Pastor, Cross Church Carlinville & Staunton, IL
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.
Ronnie HolmesSenior Pastor, Church of the Open Door, Waco, TX
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.