Randolph County v. Coen

ARNOLD, Judge.

The issue before us is whether or not defendants established an “existing use” in the operation of their business prior to the effective date of Randolph County’s Zoning Ordinance. The Ordinance prohibits the operation of defendants’ sales lot at its present location, but the business qualifies as a permitted nonconforming use if it was operational prior to the effective date of the Ordinance. The law protects nonconforming users who, acting in good faith, make a “substantial beginning” toward the intended use of their land. In Re Campsites Unlimited, 287 N.C. 493, 501, 215…