Town of Hillsborough v. Smith

The town issued to the male defendant, who then had an option to purchase the land in question, a permit to construct thereon the building which he proposes to construct and to use for a dry cleaning business. Neither such construction nor such use was forbidden by law when the permit was issued. The issuance of the permit did not, of itself, confer upon the defendants a vested property right, of which they could not be deprived by a zoning ordinance subsequently enacted. Warner v. W & O, Inc., 263 N.C. 37, 138 S.E. 2d 782. Such permit, though valid when issued, may be revoked by or pursuant…