Compulsory Acquisition of Land

If your land is about has been acquired (whether an owner or tenant) you probably have a number of questions right now.

Some of these might be:

• When will the acquisition occur?
• What compensation (if any) am I entitled to?
• How do I choose the right lawyers?
• Do I need lawyers at all?

PCL Lawyers provide legal assistance to individuals and businesses whose land is being compulsorily acquired (or is proposed to be acquired) by a government agency or department.

We “build the case” in support of our client’s compensation claim.

The good news is that generally speaking the acquiring authority will pay your legal costs.

The government can use its power to compulsorily acquire land. If a person’s land is next to, for example, a road that needs to be widened, the government has the right to require that person to surrender their land (or any part of it) to the government. The law provides for compensation for the landowner in such circumstances. This compensation can provide redress not only for the loss of the land, but also any resulting damage to the land. This damage is known as “injurious affection”.

Compensation can be very significant and we provide the following services to ensure you get the better compensation outcome:

• Advice on the applicable statutory compensation regime
• Formulating negotiation strategies to be deployed prior to any formal acquisition
• Negotiating with the acquiring authority on the provision of appropriate arrangements for temporary access to land
• Retaining expert property and business valuers and other professionals
• Conducting negotiations with the acquiring authority
• Preparing compensation claims
• Advising on the strength and weaknesses of the claims and the appropriateness of escalating disputes to a Tribunal or Court hearing
• Appearing in VCAT proceedings connected with compulsory acquisition disputes

To enquire further as to how we can help. Call us now on 1300 907 335 or complete the enquiry form on this page for an obligation free discussion.

You may also like to visit our property website in relation to the Compulsory Acquisition of Land.