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State Supreme Court Upholds Architecture's Legal Right to be Ugly

The Supreme Court of Vermont has ruled that architecture is legally allowed to be ugly.

The judgement was made in response to lawsuits filed by Vermont residents against several planned solar developments, claiming that the “unsightliness” of the panels was damaging to their property values.

But the court found that ugliness alone does not qualify as nuisance under state law, citing a long-standing rule barring private lawsuits based solely on aesthetic criticism.