Zoning Law in Florida

Ordinances authorizing variances may be worded in different ways, and you should always read your specific language carefully. The standards must be definite, City of Miami v. Save Brickell Ave., 426 So.2d 1100 (3 DCA 1983), and the criteria must be mandatory, and not permissive (i.e., "shall consider criteria" means "must comply with criteria"), id.; Drexel v. City of Miami Beach, 64 So.2d 317 (Fla. 1953).

In 1985, local governments were given express authority to adopt variance criteria in their codes (most City’s and County’s adopted codifications of the existing law of variances with slight modifications in each locality). The repeal and replacement of Florida’s standard zoning enabling act in 1985 when Florida’s Growth Management Act of 1985 was adopted did not diminish or substantially change the authority of local government or Florida law regarding variances, in fact previous Florida Law was codified in many local governments by ordinance. Both before and after 1985, the courts have followed long-established Florida law that a variance cannot be granted for self-created actions – and this requirement is codified in most city and county codes in Florida. Even after 1985, the courts have been very strict in their review of the hardship required to obtain a variance.

Generally, a variance is authorized if due to circumstances unique to the applicant's property itself and not shared by other property in the area, there exists an undue and unnecessary hardship created by the zoning regulations

When is a Variance to depart from the Code legal?

1.The hardship cannot have been self-created.

The hardship criteria found in variance provisions has a long line of cases and has been strictly construed by the courts. Josephson v. Autrey, 96 So.2d 784 (Fla. 1957).

The criteria has been interpreted to mean three things:

a. A mere economic disadvantage due to the owner's preference as to what he would like to do with the property is not sufficient to constitute a hardship entitling the owner to a variance. Burger King v. Metropolitan Dade County, 349 So.2d 210 (3 DCA 1977); Metropolitan Dade County v. Reineng, 399 So.2d 379 (3 DCA 1981); Nance, supra; Crossroads Lounge v. City of Miami, 195 So.2d 232 (DCA 1967). If, however, the only allowable uses are economically impossible, then a variance would be allowed. Nance II.

b. Neither purchase of property with zoning restrictions on it, nor reliance that zoning will not change, will constitute a hardship. Friedland v. Hollywood, 130 So.2d 306 (DCA 1961); Elwyn v. Miami, 113 So.2d 849 (3 DCA 1959).

c. If a purchaser buys land with a condition creating a hardship upon it, the owner is only entitled to such variance as his predecessor in title was entitled. If the owner participated in an affirmative act which created the hardship (such as by purchasing only a substandard piece of a larger lot), then the hardship should be ruled self-created. Coral Gables v. Geary, 383 So.2d 1127 (3 DCA 1980).

The requirement that a variance hardship cannot be self-created is required by most codes and Florida case law. In Re Kellogg, 197 F. 3rd 1116, 1121 (11th Cir. 1999). Josephson v. Autrey, 96 So.2d 784 (Fla. 1957) (superceded by statute on other grounds in Grace v. Town of Palm Beach 656 So.2d 945 (Fla. DCA 1995); Town of Ponce Inlet v Rancourt, 627 So.2d 586, 588 (Fla. DCA 1993).

Case law, as well as the Land Development Regulations control the degree of showing needed to support the approval of a variance from the express requirements of local regulations. The days of the “weeping variance” have been replaced by strict interpretation of what is required to show entitlement to a variance from local Code provisions under the case law. Town of Indialantic v. Nance, 400 So.2d 37 (5 DCA 1981), affd. 419 So.2d 1041; appealed again at 485 So.2d 1318 (5 DCA 1986), rev. den. 494 So.2d 1152.

Post 1985, the First District Court of Appeals in City of Jacksonville v. Taylor, 721 So.2d 1212 (Fla. 1st DCA 1998) Bernard v. Town Council of Palm Beach, 569 So.2d 853 (Fla. 4th DCA, 1990); Metropolitan Dade County v. Betancourt, 559 So. 2d 1237; Town of Indiatlantic v. Nance, 485 So.2d 1318 (Fla. 5th DCA 1986), and Town of Indiatlantic v. Nance (“Nance I”), 400 So.2d 2137 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981); Maturo v. City of Coral Gables, 619 So.2d 455 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1993); Herrara v. City of Miami, 600 So.2d 561 (Fla 3rd DCA 1992) rev. denied 613 So.2d 2 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1992). In Re Kellogg, 197 F. 3d 1116, 1121 (11th Cir. 1999).

Pre 1985 cases had similar holdings and include Blount v. City of Coral Gables, 312 So. 2d 208 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1975) (“Nor are the Blounts entitled to a variance from the above zoning ordinance…as the hardship was self-created because they knew of the restricted zoning ordinance.”)(citing other Florida cases on this issue); Clarke v. Morgan, 327 So.2d 769 (Fla. 1975); Friedland v. Hollywood, 130 So.2d 306 (DCA 1961); Elwyn v. Miami, 113 So.2d 849 (3 DCA 1959); Coral Gables v. Geary, 383 So.2d 1127 (3 DCA 1980).

The purchase of property with zoning restrictions on the property will normally not constitute a hardship. Friedland v. Hollywood, 130 So.2d 306 (DCA 1961); Elwyn v. Miami, 113 So.2d 849 (3 DCA 1959). Namon v. DER 558 So. 2d 504 (Fla 3rd DCA 1990) and the cases cited therein address cases where property is purchased AFTER adoption of prohibitory regulations. The court in Namon recognized such pre-existing notice as applied to takings analysis in Florida cases, as follows:

“Appellants are deemed to purchase the property with constructive knowledge of the applicable land use regulations. Appellants bought unimproved property. A subjective expectation that the land could be developed is no more than an expectancy and does not translate into a vested right to develop the subject property. See Graham v. Estuary Properties, Inc., 399 So.2d 1374, 1382, 1383 (Fla.), cert. denied sub nom. Taylor v. Graham, 454 U.S. 1083, 102 S. Ct. 640, 70 L. Ed. 2d 618 (1981)

'…[a]n owner of land has no absolute and unlimited right to change the essential natural character of his land so as to use it for a purpose for which it was unsuited in its natural state and which [injures] the rights of others." Namon at 505, (original citation omitted) see also Ruckelshaus v. Monsanto Co., 467 U.S. 986, 1005, 104 S. Ct. 2862, 2874, 81 L.E.2d 815, 834 (1984).

"A 'reasonable investment-backed expectation' must be more than a 'unilateral expectation or an abstract need'"; Namon citing Claridge v. New Hampshire Wetlands Board, 125 N.H. 745, 485 A.2d 287, 291 (1984)

"A person who purchases land with notice of statutory impediments to the right to develop that land can justify few, if any, legitimate investment-backed expectations of development rights which rise to the level of constitutionally protected property rights"; cf. Elwyn v. City of Miami, 113 So.2d 849, 852 (Fla. 3d DCA) "One who purchases property while it is in a certain known zoning classification, ordinarily will not be heard to claim as a hardship a factor or factors which existed at the time he acquired the property.", cert. denied, 116 849 (Fla. 1959).

Case law also indicates that a mere economic “disadvantage” or the owner's mere preference as to what he would like to do with the property is not sufficient to constitute a hardship entitling the owner to a variance. Burger King v. Metropolitan Dade County, 349 So.2d 210 (3 DCA 1977); Metropolitan Dade County v. Reineng, 399 So.2d 379 (3 DCA 1981); Crossroads Lounge v. City of Miami, 195 So.2d 232 (DCA 1967).

Neither purchase of property with zoning restrictions on it, nor reliance that zoning will not change, will constitute a hardship. Friedland v. Hollywood, 130 So.2d 306 (DCA 1961); Elwyn v. Miami, 113 So.2d 849 (3 DCA 1959).

If the owner participated in an affirmative act which created the hardship (such as by purchasing a substandard size lot), then the hardship should be ruled self-created. Coral Gables v. Geary, 383 So.2d 1127 (3 DCA 1980).


2.Consistency with neighborhood and scheme of regulations.

Granting the variance must not adversely affect the zoning scheme as a whole. Granting of a variance is illegal, and beyond the authority of any local administrative body, where the proposed variance is not shown to be in harmony with, and not "in derogation of the spirit, intent, purpose, or general plan of [the zoning] regulations." Troup v. Bird, 53 So.2d 717 (Fla. 1951).

"A variance should not be granted where
the use to be authorized thereby will
alter the essential character of the
locality, or interfere with the zoning
plan for the area and with rights of
owners of other property."

Elwyn v. Cityof Miami, 113 So.2d 849 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1959).

3. No reasonable legal use can be made of the property without the variance.

Some cases go so far as to say no variance can be granted if the property can still be used without the variance. This approach incorporates, to some extent, the law of taking of property without just compensation, i.e., a variance can be granted and will not be overturned if no other reasonable use can be made of the property without a variance.

"The requisite hardship may not be found unless there is a showing that under present zoning, no reasonable use can be made of the property." Thompson v. Planning Commission, 464 So.2d 1231 (1 DCA 1985). Herrera v. Miami, 600 So.2d 561 (3DCA 1992).

The hardship must be such that it "renders it virtually impossible to use that land for the purpose or in the manner for which it is zoned." Hemisphere Equity v. Key Biscayne, 369 So.2d 996 (3 DCA 1979).

It is the land, and not the nature of the project, which must be unique and create a hardship. Nance, supra; Ft. Lauderdale v. Nash, 425 So.2d 578 (4 DCA 1982) (many other common violations in the neighborhood do not constitute a hardship); City of Miami v. Franklin Leslie, 179 So.2d 622 (3 DCA 1965).