In February 2011, my family bought a house in Hellertown, Pa, when we bought the property it was listed as having a one bedroom loft apartment above the garage. That was prefect for us, being a family who wanted to stay together. My husband, mom, nephew and I live in the main house and my brother and his girlfriend currently live in the one bedroom loft above the garage. Shortly after moving in Hellertown Zoning came to us and said Hellertown requires a premit for someone to rent that space, and they do not concider it living space for the property and neither does Northampton County. They where told no body is renting it, the person who lives there co - owns the property, contacted a lawyer, The issue was dropped, until January 2012. We recieved a packet of papers in the mail saying who ever is living there needs to move out immediatly, stating Saucon Valley School District called about a child being picked up there, no child is registered at that address for school. We hired another lawyer and were told we need to fill out an application and pay Hellertown $500 and we'll need to attend a zoning hearing. We had our hearing in March and the application was denied, Hellertown is saying a co- owner of a property has no right to live in the loft apartment above his own garage. Our lawyer stated at the hearing, if he wants to go home and put a tent up in his back yard and sleep in it he can. Zoning officials, told him in Hellertown you can't. It was stated in the listing for the home we recieved the apartment has a seperate address from the house, Hellertown Water Department hooke up a new water meter for the apartment address right after we moved in, and to this day are billing the apartment seperately for water and sewer. The apartmant has all it's owe and seperately billed utilities. Northampton County has listed on their web site as the garage having one bedroom, living room, kitchen and full bathroom. All these things where presented to Hellertown Zoning Board during our hearing, it wil still denied. So according to Hellertown Boro and Zoning you DO NOT have the right to to live freely on your own property even if the county sees it as living space. The property is being owner occupided not rented. The reason we even bought the property was it fit our needs as a family to stay together yet live seperately, now we're being told we can't.