A couple in Roxbury, Connecticut, is threatening legal action after town officials said local zoning rules prohibit them from charging hikers and dog owners an hourly fee to walk trails on their 50-acre property.
According to The Connecticut Mirror, lawyers for Charles and Eli Copley have given Roxbury until Oct. 1 to either justify its position or let the rentals resume.
Here's what to know
Towns across Connecticut are increasingly having to address online platforms that let homeowners share land, pools, and other spaces in new ways.
CT Mirror reported that several towns had taken action against homeowners using a service called Swimply to rent out pools by the hour.
The couple's attorneys want Roxbury to name a local ordinance that bans the rentals or allow them to restart. If the town sticks with its current stance, the lawyers said they are prepared to take the case to court.
The case could help clarify whether towns can stretch home business rules to cover outdoor recreation on private land.
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While what will happen to the Copleys isn't clear, their stance is perfectly transparent.
CT Mirror reported that Charles Copley said at a virtual press conference, "I just kept thinking, like, how can this be so hard with something as innocuous as this? Like, if I can't do this, can anybody do anything?"
Where can I learn more?
The fight in Roxbury is one of many disputes happening over who gets to control private land use.
• In Mississauga, Canada, a homeowner took the city to court after refusing to mow his lawn.
• In Maryland, a couple changed the law instead after an HOA targeted their rewilded yard.
• In Connecticut, another couple faced a multimillion-dollar lawsuit after cutting nearly 140 trees.
While success is never guaranteed, you may face similar positive outcomes to those of the people above by taking action in your community.
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