Real Estate Community Forum

Recently I have a friend who purchased a home that was once a grocery store. The house also has an apartment down stairs and an apartment upstairs. The part of the house that occupies the grocery store is vacant so she decided to convert the store into a third apartment. There are many other houses in the neighborhood that are also rented out so she was not going to be the first in the neighborhood with a rented house. The problem emerged once the neighbors found out her intentions of renovating the grocery store. People in the community wrote up a petition and over 100 people in the neighborhood signed it were against her transforming the grocery store to an apartment. She was later given a court date to determine the outcome of her property and the town ruled in favor of the neighbors. I was shocked by this decision. I personally think this is a racial issue being that she is Asian. Is there anything she can do over turn this decision? Does this sound like a discrimination case?

Wow, What a story. I wish I had the answers on this one. Obviously your friend can continue up the legal ladder with appeals and rulings if she is not violating the law. If she has not already, I suggest she contact an experienced attorney in her area to help her through this process.

There are also legal protections available to citizens under the equal protection clauses of the constitution.

There may be zoning ordinances in place that caused the court to rule against her.