"Acquisition, Expropriation and Tramway: How it Works" with Audrey-Anne Béland

Our municipal lawyer, Audrey-Anne Béland, spoke with Jean-François Blanchet, a journalist at Radio-Canada, to demystify the expropriation process and its compensation.

The Quebec City tramway project is progressing and offers to purchase property have been sent to certain owners located along the route. When receiving such a notice, it is recommended that you consult experts in the field, including a chartered appraiser and a lawyer specializing in expropriation, to have the file evaluated and guide you in obtaining the best possible compensation.

In many cases, the parties can reach a mutual agreement. However, according to the bill concerning the Réseau structurant de transport en commun de la Ville de Québec, if a mutual agreement is not possible, the City has the right to initiate an expropriation process without any possible contestation before the Superior Court.

What about the value of the compensation?

The compensation is calculated on the value to the owner concept, which might be higher than the market value depending on the case, when the expropriated property has a different value for its owner than for someone else. In other words, it is based on the expropriated property’s value to a particular owner in order to compensate for all of the harm directly caused to that owner by the expropriation.

To listen to the full interview (in French only), click here.