RluipaWork with the nation’s leading religious land use law firm. Call us today (313) 859-6000!
Learn MoreIf you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having purchased a building or land for your faith community only to find it is not zoned for religious assembly, you’re not alone. Many religious institutions have been blindsided by restrictive zoning and land use regulations. At Dalton & Tomich, we fight for religious organizations just like yours so that you can freely use your property for religious purposes.
We have successfully defended the rights of religious institutions across the country who were unable to user their property due to unlawful zoning restrictions and land use regulations. We fight for your ability to serve your congregation and your community.
CALL US TODAY (313) 859-6000!
Work With the Firm That Litigates Religious Land Use Cases from Coast to Coast
You purchased land with the intention of using it as a home for your religious organization and the local government has denied you the ability to use the land for religious assembly due to zoning issues. What can you do?
The good news is that you may have more rights than you think.
The land use attorneys at Dalton & Tomich, PLC help all faith communities navigate land use disputes and protect their rights under RLUIPA.
Click your organization type above to learn more about how we can help you and to find free guides and resources on what protections you have under RLUIPA.
In violation of federal law, city sought to forbid Pass-A-Grille […]
Read More
If you only pay attention to the hot-button cases that […]
Read More
Every year, millions of dollars are stolen or misappropriated from […]
Read MoreThinking of starting a new ministry like a homeless shelter, daycare or soup kitchen at your church? Churches everywhere are rethinking what it means to be a church and how they can use their buildings to better serve the community. But there are often hidden hurdles – especially in the area of land use and zoning – that keep churches from carrying out their mission.
Take this quiz to find out how ready you really are to start a new ministry or land use so you can avoid many of the common pitfalls.
What Every Church Needs To Know About Their Zoning & Land Use Rights
Get the Free GuideOur practice is led by attorneys Daniel P. Dalton and Noel W. Sterett, both nationally recognized authorities in the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). They have won dozens of cases for churches and other religious groups from coast to coast, including serving as both general counsel and special litigation counsel.
Work with the lawyers that wrote the book on handling RLUIPA cases!
The Urban Church will be forever grateful to Dalton & Tomich for navigating it through a difficult land use issue. Let them give you honest and caring advice because that’s exactly what they’ll do.
The Urban Church
Dalton & Tomich’s assistance in our RLUIPA matter has paved the way for our church to continue serving the community and for new churches in the area to thrive in the future. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your stand for religious freedom.
Sovereign Grace Baptist Church
Dan Dalton, and the law firm Dalton & Tomich, stepped in and fought for our church, its people and the vision that is Hope Rising. They stood with us, gave us a voice and were absolutely amazing every step of the way. Dan Dalton and the Dalton & Tomich law firm are not just amazing lawyers, they are friends, they are family and they are members of 'The Church'.
Hope Rising Community Church
A zoning board sought to shut down City Walk Urban Mission in Tallahassee, Florida, through the enforcement of zoning code. This video case study shows how Pastor Renee Miller, the executive director of City Walk, worked with attorney Noel Sterett to successfully navigate the issue and continue the ministry’s work in Tallahassee.
In 2000, Congress passed a law called the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, or RLUIPA, in response to a growing problem of discrimination against religious institutions by local governments. RLUIPA was enacted to ensure religious institutions were treated as well as nonreligious institutions in the land use context. RLUIPA levels the playing field for faith communities by requiring local governments to treat religious institutions and assemblies equally.
Our goal is not just to win cases but to remove the barriers that stand in the way of your ministry and religious mission. We want to take care of your land use issue in a way that allows you to focus on the good work you set out to do.
Land use and zoning matters can be very complex, but we try to simplify the process and accomplish your objectives.
We want to understand your religious mission, vision, and values. We want to know the needs of your faith community and what legal issues are standing in its way.
We will determine if you need to secure an approval or denial from a local administrative body and make recommendations as to how to proceed within the local community’s administrative processes. These recommendations will be rooted in our experience successfully navigating local procedures and land use approval processes on behalf of churches and other religious entities across the nation.
There are many potential scenarios, and our team will help you consider all your options when crafting our approach.
If needed, we can help you secure expert witnesses in planning, zoning, traffic or any other necessary field to support your zoning application or lawsuit. In some cases, we may recommend retaining a public relations specialist.
After we have all the facts and evidence ready to proceed with your land use or zoning case, we will file suit and seek immediate injunctive relief when possible.
We will keep you informed about the progress of your case throughout our engagement. You will be in the know and in control. No matter which route your case takes, our team will always keep your best interest in mind every step along the way.
The experienced religious land use and zoning attorneys of Dalton & Tomich, PLC will defend your organization’s right to grow and to worship freely so your congregation can thrive.
