MOA253 Contract law, expropriation, and land acquisition

Contents and structure

This course provides training in contract law, expropriation law and land acquisition. Students will gain an advanced understanding of different contractual situations, with an emphasis on contracts pertaining to land acquisition. Development agreements and agreements allocating infrastructure costs in a development area will also be addressed. The course will teach the students important skills for the preparation of high-quality contracts. In addition, the students will gain a good understanding of Norwegian contract law and its impact on different negotiation situations. The course will address in detail the rules pertaining to the binding nature of contracts, the possibility of challenging the validity of a contract, as well as the use of representatives and the scope of mandates. Ethical aspects of land acquisition and contracting remain in focus throughout the course.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

The candidate will gain:

• Comprehensive knowledge of contract law, land acquisition and expropriation.
• In-depth understanding of factors that ensure high-quality contracts and land acquisition procedures, including the importance of the legal framework.
• In-depth understanding of the ethical challenges that can arise in relation to land acquisition.

Skill

The candidate will be able to:

• Carry out necessary preparations for land acquisition.
• Identify and critically evaluate different criteria for assessing the quality of contracts.
• Critically discuss legal questions arising in relation to contracts.

General competency

The candidate will be able to

• Administer a land acquisition process, from preparation to contracting.
• Reflect on and analyse ethical and legal aspects of different types of contracts.

Entry requirements

The entrance requirements of the study program.

Recommended previous knowledge

MOA251 Legal framework for land use planning and MOA252 Sustainability and land use planning.

Teaching methods

The teaching will consist of lectures, assignments, and instructions in the use of legal methods.

Compulsory learning activities

Two obligatory individual assignments must be approved. One of these assignments will address legal issues pertaining to the implementation of a zoning plan. This is a follow-up to work done in MOA252. For students who have not completed this course, some extra work must be devoted to drafting a zoning plan.

Approved obligatory work requirements remain valid for 3 consecutive semesters.

Assessment

Individual two-day home exam (published at 9 am on day 1, submitted at 2 pm on day 2).

The time and place of the examination will be announced on the Studentweb and through the relevant digital examination system.

Grading scale A-F, where F is a fail.