compulsory purchase
the process by which land is legally acquired for public use, irrespective of the wishes of the owners. There are two procedures under which this may be achieved: the first involves the service of a notice to treat (compensation is determined on the basis of the market value of the land at the date of the notice) or through a general vesting declaration by the acquiring authority, as a result of which the land vests in the authority from the date of the declaration.