As has been discussed, expropriation is a taking of land without consent of the owner by an expropriating authority. An understanding of the expropriation process is essential for lawyers and appraisers to properly consult property owners and business owners that are subject to land acquisition by governmental authorities.
Time Requirements in Expropriations in Ontario
The first step in the formal expropriation process is for the authority to serve a Notice of Application for Approval to Expropriate Land on the registered owner of the property. A registered owner is an owner whose interest in land is registered or specified in an instrument in the Land Registry Office. The authority is required to publish the Notice of Application for Approval to Expropriate Land for three consecutive weeks in a local newspaper where the lands are situated.
Once served with the document, the owner has 30 days to request a hearing of necessity, where the authority must demonstrate that the expropriation is fair, sound and reasonably necessary. Often, the hearing has reduced the scope of an acquisition from a fee simple taking to easement takings or to amend construction plans to minimize the impacts on the property.
Once the expropriation plan is approved, the authority must register the Plan of Expropriation within 3 months, at which time legal title to the expropriated lands vests with the expropriating authority. An owner can remain in possession of the land following registration of the expropriation plan, the owner is no longer the legal owner of the lands specified in the plan.
Other Time Requirements
After registering the Plan of Expropriation, the authority has 30 days to serve Notices of Expropriation and Election. The Notice of Expropriation notifies the owner that an expropriation has occurred and the legal title has vested with the authority. The Notice of Election provides the owner with a valuation date to select for the purposes of determining compensation. The valuation dates are either:
a. the date the notice of hearing for an inquiry was served;
b. the date of the registration of the Expropriation Plan; or
c. The date on which the owner was served the Notice of Expropriation.
In addition, the authorities will serve a Notice of Possession, indicating that the authorities will take possession of the lands at least 3 months after the date of service, before which, an offer of compensation pursuant to Section 25 of the Expropriations Act must be served on the property owner.
For more information about timelines and provisions of the Expropriations Act, it is imperative to consult with a lawyer and land appraiser early in the process in order to document the state of the property prior to the expropriation for comparison purposes in order to maximize the value of the property on the valuation date.