Larnaca District Court awards 53,000 euros for expropriated land

On December 5, 2014, the Department of Lands and Surveys expropriated 806 square meters of a plot in the Vassiliko area of Larnaca district for an industrial and energy zone development project. The department initially offered the landowners compensation of only 50 euros for the expropriated area. The owners rejected this offer and, represented by lawyer Michalis Dilinos, filed a lawsuit with the Larnaca District Court in 2016 to increase the compensation amount. During the trial, the court relied on the expert assessment of Dr. Georgios Georgiadis, who argued that the expropriated land held significantly higher value and that the remaining 21,599 square meters of the plot did not increase in value due to the project. The court criticized the Land Registry's appraisal methods, declaring them unreliable. Consequently, the court ruled in favor of the property owners, ordering a total compensation of 53,000 euros. This decision marks a significant legal precedent for land expropriation disputes in the region.