Rhode Island General Laws

R.I. Gen. Laws § 45-24-62 (2026)

Administration — Judicial aid in enforcement

✓ current as of July 2026
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The supreme court and the superior court, within their respective jurisdictions, or any justice of either of those courts in vacation, shall, upon due proceedings in the name of the city or town, instituted by its city or town solicitor, have power to issue any extraordinary writ or to proceed according to the course of law or equity or both:

(1) To restrain the erection, alteration, or use of any building, structure, sign, or land erected, altered, or used in violation of the provisions of any zoning ordinance enacted under the authority of this chapter, and to order its removal or abatement as a nuisance;

(2) To compel compliance with the provisions of any zoning ordinance enacted under the authority of this chapter;

(3) To order the removal by the property owner of any building, structure, sign, or improvement existing in violation of any zoning ordinance enacted under the provisions of this chapter and to authorize some official of the city or town, in the default of the removal by the owner, to remove it at the expense of the owner;

(4) To order the reimbursement for any work or materials done or furnished by or at the cost of the city or town;

(5) To order restoration by the owner, where practicable; and/or

(6) To issue fines and other penalties.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4 cases, 2017–2020 · leading case: Stephen L. Key v. Brown Univ., 163 A.3d 1162 (R.I. 2017).
Stephen L. Key v. Brown Univ., 163 A.3d 1162 (R.I. 2017). · cites it 6× “Thereafter, on September 18, 2012, plaintiffs, again through counsel, sent the city solicitor a letter requesting that the city file suit against Brown University pursuant to G.L. 1956 § 45-24-62 “to enjoin [Brown’s] unlawful use [óf the complex] and order the removal, of the…”
McLaughlin v. Tiverton Town Council (D.R.I. 2020). · cites it 9× “G.L. §45-24-62, which vests the Superior Court with the power to assist cities and towns in the enforcement of their zoning ordinances so long as there are “due proceedings” in the name of the city or town instituted by its city or town solicitor.”
Town of Exeter, by & through its Solicitor, James P. Marusak v. State of Rhode Island Town of Richmond, Rhode Island v. State of Rhode Island, 226 A.3d 696 (R.I. 2020). “1956 § 45-24-57(1)(iv), (v) (authorizing the zoning board of review to authorize, upon application, variances and special-use permits); § 45-24-58 (establishing the application procedure to seek relief from a zoning ordinance); § 45-24-62 (indicating that the courts may compel…”
Town of Exeter, by & through its Solicitor, James P. Marusak v. State of Rhode Island Town of Richmond, Rhode Island v. State of Rhode Island, 226 A.3d 696 (R.I. 2020). “1956 § 45-24-57(1)(iv), (v) (authorizing the zoning board of review to authorize, upon application, variances and special-use permits); § 45-24-58 (establishing the application procedure to seek relief from a zoning ordinance); § 45-24-62 (indicating that the courts may compel…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.