Group Home Accused Operating Without Proper Permits
In Springfield, Missouri, a group home that has been open since 2008 is now facing accusations that they are in violation of the zoning laws in Missouri. The home was set up to assist drug and alcohol addicts in recovery. The facility is reportedly operating without a zoning permit. An assistant prosecutor in Missouri reportedly filed a misdemeanor complaint against the facility.
The prosecutor argued that the facility failed to correct the issue after being given several chances to do so. A lawyer that has worked with the owner of the group home stated that the primary reason why the owner did not get a zoning permit is because the zoning laws did not comply with regulations set by the state of Oregon. The lawyer stated previous regulations did not include group homes; they only included halfway houses, which were characteristically different than group homes. According to the report, if the owner of the group home is found guilty in a trial he will be facing soon, he could be given a fine of $1,000 or a jail sentence of up to one year.
According to the report, there was confusion over the regulation of the zoning laws and where the group home fit into the equation. One of the lawyers interviewed for this article stated that, due to the regulations regarding zoning laws involving group homes, the owner of this home was not required to obtain a license. If this is the case, then it is a valid reason for not obtaining a license in the first place. State and federal regulations of group homes should all be maintained uniformly to prevent any confusion over statutes and regulations on group homes.
