Question juridique clé
Which authority is competent to hear a compensation claim arising from construction of a public sewer line?
Solution extraite
The claim had to be assessed in the expropriation appraisal procedure before the cantonal valuation commission, not by the Verwaltungsgericht as a first instance.
Motifs extraits
Although the dispute was a public-law property claim in principle within the Verwaltungsgericht's competence, the specific compensation claim fell under the special statutory appraisal procedure for public lines and sewer installations. Under the building law and water rights act, such compensation is first decided by the valuation commission, with judicial review only at a higher stage.