Examples of Legal Changes.

I am not a lawyer and nothing here shall suggest or imply that I am giving legal advice. This is only informational and based on experience.

One big example of a legal change that affected many land owners in my town is that if you owned two lots next to each other, and they had the exact same name on the deed in 1984, and you did not put different names on the deeds, they became one lot. This means that you lost 1/2 of your property value if you did not record new deeds. Seems like theft to me, but "they" argue that the owners were given notice by newspaper ad. So, read the local paper's legal posting and real estate sections to see what is changing where you own property.

Another is, in the year 2000 the area I live in adjusted the septic laws (private sewerage) to make all systems meet a new design criteria. If you had not had a design approved and on record by 1-1-2000, you would then have to install the new style system at a greater cost, again changing the value of property.

Also, the town health manager decided to designate some relatively arbitrary areas by a line of demarkation of his choosing. The problem was that no one had to be notified and the newly designated areas became restricted for development to half of what had been possible up to that time.

Or the bylaw that was proposed to change the required lot size of any home that wanted an in-law apartment. Fortunately, this one would have made so many existing properties with an in-law already, completely unable to comply with the change. This one got voted down because people became aware of it.

The latest one would change the bylaws so that a pre-existing non-conforming structure could not be voluntarily renovated to the same use. Are these people anti-ownership or what!? This one did not make it either. People with property that has been used long before zoning changes restricted much at all, are entitled to maintain what they have!

Keep your eyes and ears opened. Watch for changes that could affect property values (not just your property) in the area(s) where you own property. Read the local paper and/or keep aware of your town's rezoning and development rules. Help other owners when the issue doesn't directly affect you - you may need help from them at another time.

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