Some residents of Christchurch's red zone say the situation Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has placed them in is unlawful and have taken their case to the High Court.
Forty owners of vacant land and uninsured properties on Wednesday filed a claim for a judicial review of the actions of Mr Brownlee and Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority chief executive Roger Sutton.
The group called Quake Outcasts says it is determined to prove through the courts that the Government's so-called clearance strategy was entirely unlawful.
The lawyer acting for the group, Grant Cameron, says the Government buy-out offers were well below market value because the 2007 prices that were offered did not account for any capital improvements.
The residents argue that the designation of the red zone damaged any prospect of them selling privately, getting insurance or building consents.
They say they have even lost the right to stay in their own homes if the Government decides to compulsorily acquire their land.
