ArvoLex is involved in the public road survey of the Lahti ring road, one of the largest road construction projects that is currently in progress. The public road survey began already in 2016 when the road areas were acquired by the expropriator. At the same time, the handling of land compensations and compensations for buildings that would be left under the road began. In autumn 2016, ArvoLex organized a landowners’ event for affected landowners, where the law firm described its services and the help that would be available to landowners during the project. The event generated a lot of interest, especially in Hollola, and many landowners authorized ArvoLex to represent them in the case concerning their lands.
In spring 2017, the handling of compensations for buildings left under the road area in the separate survey began, and decisions on these compensations were made at the end of the year 2017. A total of more than ten detached houses were left under the Lahti ring road, of which the majority had already been voluntarily sold before the survey began. ArvoLex was happy to help landowners also with these negotiations that took place before the actual survey.
The claims for land compensations in terms of the main public road survey were to be submitted in the spring of 2017. ArvoLex prepared the majority of the claims relating to the survey. The expropriator (ELY Centre) gave its own rejoinder to the claims for damages, after which the expropriation committee made a compensation decision based on the claims for damages, the expropriator’s rejoinder and its own investigations at the end of 2017. The level of the compensations remained so low that some of the landowners decided to seek an increase by appealing to the Land Court with the assistance of ArvoLex. The judgement of the Land Court was given at the end of 2018. The Land Court considered the level of the compensation being correct and, therefore, no increase of the compensations was received.
So, at this stage, only compensations for the land and the expropriated buildings have been handled in terms of the public road survey. During phase II of the public road survey, which will begin after the road has been completed in the early 2020s, the nuisance and damage caused by the road project will be processed. At that time, ArvoLex will once again assist landowners to receive the best possible compensation for the nuisance and damage that they have suffered.
More information about the project is available from Valuation Expert Matti Äijälä, tel. +358 400 157 175 / matti.aijala@arvolex.fi.
