SERVICES/ PROPERTY LAW
Property Law & Litigation
Land Use, Zoning, Property Law, and Property-Rights Litigation
Led by Anthony J. Bologna
Former Chair, ABA Condemnation Committee and ABA Land Use and Zoning Section
PRACTICE AREAS
Legal Consulting, PLLC provides strategic, high-level representation to property owners, businesses, and developers confronting Michigan land use, zoning, and property-law disputes—where governmental decisions, title and contract issues, and enforcement actions can directly affect a project’s feasibility, timeline, and long-term value. We guide clients through the full lifecycle of property matters, from pre-dispute risk assessment and entitlement strategy through litigation and appeals when a governmental action or private-party conduct threatens the client’s rights.
Our property-rights practice is anchored by the experience of Anthony J. Bologna, the Firm’s founder, who served a combined five years in national leadership roles with the American Bar Association, including as Chair of the ABA’s Condemnation Committee and Co-Chair of the ABA’s Land Use and Zoning Section. That leadership experience informs a disciplined, record-focused approach that emphasizes precise statutory interpretation, persuasive advocacy before local boards and commissions, and courtroom-ready case development from the outset.
Representative land use, zoning, and property-law matters
01
Entitlement Strategy and Project Siting
Early-stage risk analysis, ordinance interpretation, and roadmap development to position projects for approval and reduce delay.
02
Special Land Use, Variances, Rezoning, and Planned Development
Preparation and presentation of applications; public hearing advocacy; negotiation of conditions; and building an administrative record designed to withstand judicial review.
03
Site Plan Approval, Permitting, and Development Conditions
Challenging unreasonable or ultra vires conditions; vested-rights arguments; interpretation of ordinance standards; and negotiating development agreements that protect the client’s operational and economic objectives.
04
Zoning Interpretation, Nonconforming Uses, and Vested Rights
Legal opinions and litigation regarding permissible uses, legal nonconformities, amortization issues, discontinuance claims, and determinations by zoning administrators.
05
Quiet Title, Title Defects, and Curative Litigation
Resolving clouds on title, adverse claims, recording issues, lien priority disputes, and other defects that prevent sale, financing, or development.
06
Administrative Appeals and Circuit Court Litigation
Appeals from ZBA, planning commission, and legislative-body decisions; challenges based on unlawful procedure, due process, inconsistent standards, lack of competent evidence, and arbitrary/capricious decision-making.
07
Property-Rights Litigation and Constitutional Claims
Advocacy when governmental action substantially interferes with reasonable property use, including due process, equal protection, and regulatory-takings issues when implicated.
08
Real Estate and Property Disputes
Litigation involving purchase agreements, leases, land contracts, easements, access and boundary disputes, restrictive covenants, quiet title actions, and claims affecting marketability and insurability of title.
09
Appeals and Administrative Proceedings
Briefing and argument in state and federal appellate courts and in administrative agency matters, including licensing, construction, and environmental/regulatory proceedings.
10
Eminent Domain and Condemnation
Evaluating the taking, the project footprint, and leverage points; negotiating to reduce scope, mitigate impacts, and improve compensation before litigation hardens positions.
Coordinating with qualified appraisers and specialty consultants to capture full damages, including partial-taking impacts, severance damages, access impairment, and highest-and-best-use issues.
Where appropriate, challenging necessity, statutory compliance, and scope—particularly when the taking exceeds project needs or disregards required process.
Building the evidentiary record, managing expert strategy, motion practice, trial advocacy, and appellate briefing where required to secure a defensible and favorable result.
Legal Consulting, PLLC represents property owners when government seeks to take private property or impose easements—focused on protecting property rights and maximizing just compensation. We approach condemnation matters with urgency and precision because early decisions often drive valuation outcomes and long-term project impacts.
Clients rely on Legal Consulting, PLLC for practical, responsive, and informed results—with clear communication, disciplined strategy, and an approach tailored to the realities of public-sector decision-making, regulated industries, and complex litigation.
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