Does not constitute the reference date

Application pratique:

The Court of Cassation ruling means that if the PLU modification does not relate to your building's specific zone, the reference date for valuation remains one year before the public inquiry—not the modification date. Check the geographic scope of the PLU change: if your zone (e.g., UCb) was unaffected, you cannot rely on that later date. Request a copy of the expropriation file from the prefecture and consult a solicitor to ensure the correct reference date is applied, as using an older date might lower your compensation.

Application pratique:

Under this case law, if the PLU modification only affected, for example, an industrial zone across town and not your residential UB zone, it does not change the reference date. Your compensation will likely be based on the market value one year before the public inquiry, not the recent modification date. Check the PLU amendment documents (available at the mairie) to confirm which zones were altered. If your zone is unchanged, accept that the compensation may reflect an earlier, possibly lower, valuation. Consider an independent valuation to challenge the offer if it seems unfair.

Application pratique:

The ruling clarifies that only PLU modifications affecting the precise zone of the property alter the reference date under Article L. 213-4 a. You must check whether the Chartrons district—specifically your plot's zone (e.g., UZ1)—was included in the modification. If not, the standard date (one year before the inquiry) applies. Gather all co-owners, obtain the relevant PLU extract from Bordeaux Métropole, and if the zone is unaffected, avoid costly legal challenges based on the wrong date. Present a united front to the expropriating authority using the correct valuation rule.