Prescriptive Easement: Old Gate, New Problem for Churches
How a neighbor’s gate into a church parking lot can become a prescriptive easement—and what California churches must do to prevent or reverse it.
Category Archives: Property & Land Use
Legal Parcels of Land in California: Parcel Creation Guide
A clear guide to how legal parcels of land are created and verified in California, including deeds, surveys, subdivision maps, parcel maps, and certificates of compliance.
Subdivision Map Act: California’s Land Division Requirements
The Subdivision Map Act sets the rules for dividing land in California — including a shorter parcel map path most articles leave out. Here’s how tentative maps, final maps, and parcel maps actually work.
Towing Vehicles From Private Property
Removing an abandoned or illegally parked vehicle from church property isn’t as simple as calling a tow truck. Here’s what California law requires first.
Conditional Use Permits
A Conditional Use Permit lets a property owner get approval for a use not automatically allowed by zoning — but the process can take a year or more and costs $10,000-$20,000, with no guarantee of approval.
The Builder’s Remedy and California’s Housing Crisis: What It Means for Church Land
When a California city falls out of compliance with state housing law, the Builder’s Remedy can override its zoning entirely. Here’s how the HAA, SB 330, and CEQA fit together, and why it matters for churches sitting on developable land.
General Plan vs. Zoning
How a General Plan and zoning ordinance legally relate under California law, and how RLUIPA gives churches specific federal protection in zoning disputes.
How Zoning Code Affects Church Property Use
Zoning laws don’t disappear just because a church has used its property the same way for years. Here’s how zoning code affects church property, nonconforming use, conditional permits, and RLUIPA protections actually work together — and what happens when a city tries to push a church out.
Lot Line Adjustments and Splits in California
Lot line adjustments and lot splits sound similar but trigger very different legal processes. Here’s how each one actually works.
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