Jackson v. Guilford County Board of Adjustment

The mere fact that one’s proposed lawful use of his own land will diminish the value of adjoining or nearby lands of another does not give to such other person a standing to maintain an action, or other legal proceeding, to prevent such use. Harrington & Co. v. Renner, 236 N.C. 321, 72 S.E. 2d 838; 1 Am. Jur. 2d, Adjoining Landowners, § 2. If, however, the proposed use is unlawful, as where it is prohibited by a valid zoning ordinance, the owner of adjoining or nearby lands, who will sustain special damage from the proposed use through a reduction in the value of his own property, does have a…