Law Commons^™

Vested Rights: Do Land Developers Need More Protection?, John R. Nolon, Jessica A. Bacher

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

The general doctrine of vested rights protects developers from changes in zoning after they have received a valid building permit. This article explains the two varieties of vested rights laws New York: statutory, and common law. Also discussed, is a new proposal for vested rights legislation that would increase protection for developers over the existing laws. The article closes by citing of some of the concerns with vested rights such as the single integrated project theory, losing vested rights by abandonment, and the equitable estoppel rule.