The Niemans case in brief
In 1971, the industrial board Vianen-Hagestein (later the municipality of Vianen) sold a piece of land to concrete manufacturer Niemans Beton. But that went wrong. The soil is partly delivered too late and partly not at all. As a result, the manufacturer cannot expand and thus loses profit. The result: Niemans Beton claims compensation.
The court case that followed lasted more than forty years and became known as the longest-running court case in the Netherlands. A decision will not be made until the end of 2020. The municipality of Vijfheerenlanden (of which Vianen is now part) must pay 92 million euros in compensation. All piggy banks of the new municipality are empty as a result.