Religious Land Use and Zoning Leaders

National RLUIPA Experience to Help You Grow

RLUIPA Case Observations and Insights

Court orders City of St. Pete Beach to pay $250,000+ of church’s attorney fees in case involving church’s provision of free parking

  • April 27, 2022
  • by Admin

In violation of federal law, city sought to forbid Pass-A-Grille Beach Community Church from allowing the public to park for free in its private lot near the beach   Media Contacts: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, barbara@eafocus.com, 248.260.8466; Noel Sterett, nsterett@daltontomich.com, 815-986-8050 St. Pete Beach, Fla.—April 27, […]

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Supreme Court Unified on Strength of the Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act

  • March 30, 2022
  • by Noel Sterett

If you only pay attention to the hot-button cases that make the nightly news, you may think the Supreme Court is deeply divided in most of its cases. This is simply not true. The Supreme Court issues far more unanimous decisions than 5-to-4 decisions. One […]

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Religious Land Use & the Church: Client Testimonial and Virtual Roundtable series

  • October 21, 2021
  • by Noel Sterett

Church Law & Tax is a leading resource for church leaders looking for guidance on legal and tax issues affecting religious institutions. Recently, Dalton & Tomich attorney Noel Sterett worked with Church Law & Tax to put together a series of videos to help pastors […]

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Dalton & Tomich wins injunction against Hinds County, Mississippi on behalf of The Church at Jackson

  • September 27, 2021
  • by Emily

County’s zoning ordinance violates Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) Media Contacts: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications; barbara@eafocus.com; 248.260.8466; Noel Sterett; nsterett@daltontomich.com; 815.997.7221 Detroit—-September 27, 2021—National law firm Dalton & Tomich announced it has won an injunction on behalf of the Church at Jackson […]

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Park and pray? Church wins preliminary injunction against City of St. Pete Beach, which attempted to forbid public parking in Church’s lot

  • January 28, 2021
  • by Emily

City’s punitive measures restricting religious exercise of Pass-A-Grille Beach Community Church likely violate federal law     Media Contacts: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications; barbara@eafocus.com; 248.260.8466; Dan Dalton; ddalton@daltontomich.com; 248.229.2329   St. Pete Beach, Fla.—January 27, 2021—Daniel Dalton, a religious property and land use attorney with […]

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Court Enters Judgment and Adds to Major Attorney Fee Award in RLUIPA Case Against Borough of Litchfield, CT

  • April 2, 2020
  • by Noel Sterett

On March 31, 2020, the United States District Court of Connecticut issued a ruling which added nearly $100,000 in attorneys’ fees, costs and interest to an existing fee award of over $700,000 against the Borough of Litchfield, CT. By way of background, Dalton & Tomich […]

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Quick RLUIPA Win in New York: Consent Decree Frees Mount Zion Ministries Church to Locate in Whitestown

  • February 10, 2020
  • by Noel Sterett

The only thing better than a win is a quick win. Case in point, just over a week after we filed suit on behalf of Mount Zion Ministries Church (also operating as Redeemer Church), we were able to obtain an order protecting the church’s right […]

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Addressing Homeless Ministries through RLUIPA: Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church v. The City of Lenexa, Kansas

  • December 17, 2019
  • by Daniel P. Dalton

Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church (“Shawnee Mission Church” or “Church”) has a long and proud history of ministering to the poorest and most vulnerable populations of Lenexa, Kansas and the greater Johnson County area. Over the last several years, the Church has advanced their ministry […]

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RLUIPA Protects Homeless Shelters within Churches – Our latest case in Kansas

  • November 22, 2019
  • by Daniel P. Dalton

Today we filed suit on behalf of Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church against the City of Lenexa, Kansas, who, has used zoning to deny the Church the ability to use its building to serve the homeless in Johnson County, Kansas. At its heart, this case […]

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Building Faith: Protecting Religious Freedom Through Land Use Laws

  • November 8, 2019
  • by Noel Sterett

Last night I was honored to speak on a panel hosted by the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice at Marquette Law School in Milwaukee, WI. The panel discussion was part of the United States Attorney General’s Place to Worship Initiative and was […]

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Dalton & Tomich, PLC is the national leader in successfully helping churches, other religious institutions and their insurers defend their rights in land use and zoning matters under RLUIPA, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. We have helped clients win cases against municipalities and other local government bodies from coast to coast, with experience serving both as general counsel and special litigation counsel.