如何在弗吉尼亚建造码头:滨水业主需要知道的五件事

为什么要建码头?

春天来了，夏天快到了, many waterfront property owners have contacted our waterfront law team asking about the legal hurdles involved in constructing or expanding a pier or dock in Virginia.  拥有一个码头附属于你的海滨物业是非常可取的. 它不仅增加了你的房子的财产价值, 但它也可以让你充分利用你的海滨位置.  一个高质量的码头可以让小船停靠在更深的水域, 鱼或蟹, 甚至是游泳.  然而, 在弗吉尼亚州建一个码头并不像看上去那么容易, 关于码头的纠纷在我们的滨水法律实践中占了很大一部分.  关于建造桥墩有很多需要了解的, but 在这里 are five things that all potential buyers should take into consideration when buying waterfront real estate.

在弗吉尼亚州建造码头时需要考虑的五件事

1. 你必须获得建造码头或码头的许可.
2. 你可能会对未经许可的码头负责——即使在你买房时它已经存在了.
3. 你只能在你的“河岸地区”.
4. 你的地产线必须合法地与水相连.
5. 河岸权利可以被切断.

1.  你必须获得许可才能建造码头

In order to construct or expand a pier or dock in the Commonwealth you must first get permission from several different agencies. 每个机构的作用都是不同的，但它们之间有一些管辖权重叠. 参与申请建造码头的主要机构是当地湿地委员会, 陆军工兵部队, 弗吉尼亚海洋澳门亚洲博彩平台排名委员会(VMRC). 每个机构都有自己的指导方针和规定，必须正确遵守. Building a pier without the proper permits may lead to severe civil penalties and even criminal prosecution.

公共信托原则

《澳门亚洲博彩平台排名》赋予了“海湾所有河床”的所有权, 河流, 小溪, 联邦的海岸和海岸将被弗吉尼亚的所有人共同使用.”  Va. Code §28.2-1200.  The “Public Trust Doctrine” is the principle that the state acts as a trustee in holding the land lying beneath public waters for the benefit of all citizens.  这些被淹没的公共区域被称为“国有洼地”.“国有洼地从平均低水位开始, 哪一个是过去二十年的平均低潮点.

The VMRC is the state agency responsible for upholding the Public Trust Doctrine by properly managing state-owned bottomlands on behalf of the public.  VMRC生境部处理使用, 侵占, 或者扰乱联邦所有的水底, 包括码头及码头.  这是通过向VMRC提交联合许可申请(JPA)来完成的.  JPA的某些部分必须由专业工程师准备和认证, 土地测量师, 或其他获得联邦正式许可的适当人士  

当它接收JPA应用程序时，VMRC充当应用程序的交换中心.  它征求公众意见, 与其他州和联邦机构协调, 然后权衡赞成和反对批准许可的因素.  这些因素包括对航行的危害和潜在的环境影响, 以及附近的业主是否反对该项目.  在完成对申请的审查后, 生境司将向委员会提出一项建议.  如果VMRC工作人员建议拒绝, 或者你的邻居反对你提议的码头, VMRC将举行公开听证会.  They have the power to grant the permit; deny the permit; or grant the permit with conditions.  Our waterfront law team is highly experienced in representing property owners at VMRC public hearings.

在湿地建造码头的许可证

A wetland is an area w在这里 water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface of the soil for at least part of the year.  湿地受到法律的高度保护.  在维吉尼亚州, piers which are constructed on pilings that permit the “reasonably unobstructed flow of the tide and preserve the natural contour of the wetlands” do not require wetlands permits.  Va. 代码§1302 (3)(1).   然而，不符合这些具体要求的码头将需要湿地许可证.

All applications for projects that will impact any type of wetland in the Commonwealth must contain a plan to compensate for any loss of wetlands that will occur.  这个计划可能是现场补偿, 流域内补偿, 或通过使用第28条授权的缓解银行获得补偿.弗吉尼亚法典第2-1308条.  In some localities an applicant can also choose to pay into a special account dedicated to wetlands creation and restoration. 

通航水道码头许可证

美国.S. 陆军工程兵团对美国所有通航水域拥有管辖权, 如果你想在通航水域建造码头，你必须获得海军陆战队的许可. 通航水域的定义相当广泛，包括所有随潮汐涨落的水域. 通航水域还包括已被开发的内陆水域, 或者可能是, 用于州际贸易. 实际上, 除非你买的是池塘边或小湖边的房产, it is almost certain that any waterfront property that you are interested in purchasing will be considered navigable. 相应的, 才能被允许建造码头, 你需要获得陆军工程兵团的许可.  这与上面解释的湿地许可证是分开的.

地方性法规

除了州的规定，地方也可以施加自己的限制.   地方法规可能因地而异, 有些地方的要求比其他地方更严格.  例如, in 弗吉尼亚海滩 piers in larger bodies of water may not extend into the waterway more than 25% of the waterway’s width as measured from mean low water to mean low water.  弗吉尼亚海滩较窄的水道不受25%要求的约束, 但根据规划署的规定，码头不得妨碍航行. 此外，桥墩不得在距已建航道25英尺的范围内搭建.  可以找到有关弗吉尼亚海滩许可程序的信息 在这里; and information about the Norfolk permitting process can be found 在这里. Our waterfront law team is very familiar with local regulations and with the JPA process and will be happy to assist in obtaining the proper permits.

2.  你可以为未经许可的码头负责-即使它在你买房子的时候已经存在了

Many waterfront property purchasers are surprised to find out that they can be liable for a pier that was built without a permit, 即使那个码头是由以前的所有者建造的，并且已经存在了很多年. This is because having an unpermitted pier on your land is known in legal parlance as a “strict liability” violation. 严格责任, 违规者的意图并不重要, 即使业主完全没有意识到违规行为，她也要承担责任. 

People summoned to appear before the VMRC have the right to have an attorney appear at the hearing and speak on his/her behalf. 如果这发生在你身上, it is wise to consult with an experienced riparian rights attorney who may be able to help reduce the penalties or even avoid them altogether. 

例如, 如果你的码头建于1962年之前, a permit is not required because the VMRC did not gain its authority to regulate encroachments onto state-owned bottomland until that year and the existing pier might be “grandfat在这里d in.“即使你的码头是在1962年之后建造的, 也许有一些对你有利的缓和因素可以减轻惩罚.  与VMRC的合作源远流长, and our team has had good success in the past in working to reduce penalties and gain “after-the-fact” permit approvals.

3.  你只可在你的“河岸区”内建造码头

正如我们在我们的 滨水物权法博客, t在这里 are specific benefits that accrue to the owner of land that is adjacent to navigable waters. 最高法院指出，有五种不同的河岸财产权.

 你的河岸财产权

1. 享有因与水相邻而赋予土地的自然优势的权利. 这通常被解释为享有捕鱼等福利的权利, 游泳, 或者有一个相当通畅的水景.
2. 通行权:进入水域的权利，包括进出可通航部分的通行权.
3. 在通航水域外建造码头、码头的权利，但须遵守国家规定.
4. 合理利用流经或流出土地的水的权利.
5. 冲积权:冲积物或冲积物的权利. 这意味着你的地产线会随着时间的推移而变化, as sand and sediment are slowly and imperceptibly deposited (accretion) or washed away from (alluvium) your shoreline.

定义你的河岸区域

重要的是，滨水物业业主只在他或她的“滨水地区”享有这五项权利.” Most people mistakenly assume that the 河岸地区 is determined simply by extending his or her property line out into the water. 这是不正确的.  正如我们在滨水物权法博客中所解释的那样， 根据弗吉尼亚法律建立河岸区 it is actually determined using a highly complex formula which first measures the length of a property owner’s shoreline, 然后测量“通航线”的长度.”  Each property owner’s 河岸地区 is then determined according to his or her proportionate share of the line of navigability as compared to the length of shoreline.

如何建造合法的“河岸财产”码头

对你的河岸地区进行准确的调查是至关重要的. 我们的团队与专业测量员密切合作，他们知道如何完成这项复杂的工作. 利用这些河岸调查, we have been successful in both defending our clients’ rights to build piers in their 河岸地区s, and in preventing neighbors from building structures that encroached into our clients’ 河岸地区s. 

4.  你的地产线必须合法地与水相连

接近是不够的，一英寸可以改变世界

It is imperative to understand that a property owner has riparian rights only if the land is adjacent to the water. 这意味着陆地必须接触到水. 我们最近参与了一个案子，一个买家买了一栋漂亮的水上房子, 相信她会对自己的新家拥有河岸财产权.  然而, 结束后不久, 一项调查显示，地产线实际上离河只有一英寸.  

尽管它离水面只有一英寸之遥, because her land is not adjacent to the water this unfortunate buyer does not have riparian property rights. 因此，她无法行使最高法院规定的五项福利中的任何一项, 包括建造码头的权利. 这是事实，即使她购买了这处房产(并支付了可观的溢价)!)，目的很明确，是兴建一个码头，供深水通道使用. 不用说, 这位买家对她的房地产经纪人非常不满，可能会采取法律行动.

5.  河岸权利可以被切断

任何曾经购买过房地产的人都知道一个好的产权搜索的重要性. Most real estate agents and title companies are good at searching through chains of title to find encumbrances on the land such as liens, 地役权, 以及通行权. 然而, 这不是常识, 甚至在房地产专业人士中也是如此, 河岸权利可以在产权链中被切断. 

这意味着在过去的某个时刻, 以前的卖家转让了一块土地，但自己保留了河岸的权利. 大多数房地产专业人士都没有意识到这种可能性, and t在这里fore it is unlikely that they will always check for riparian rights during the title search. 

A buyer who purchases real estate for which the riparian rights have been severed will find herself in the same situation as the buyer described above whose land did not touch the water. 换句话说, 她将没有河岸权，也将被禁止建造码头, 除此之外. Potential buyers of waterfront property would be well advised to have the chain of title examined by an attorney who is well-versed in riparian property rights prior to signing any land sale contract. 

结论:

对许多人来说，拥有海滨房产是梦想成真, 但这也是一项复杂的投资，不适合粗心的人. 对于购买滨水地产的潜在买家来说，有很多事情需要考虑. 这里解释的五个问题是所有者面临的一些最常见的陷阱, 但也有很多其他的. 

布莱恩·皮尔普斯 是一个澳门亚洲博彩平台排名 & 科沃德律师专注于海滨法律事务.