Claim for a revised decision concerning a decision made by the municipality or a municipal body

You should claim for a revised decision if you feel that a decision made by a municipal authority or body is against the law, or that its contents are unsatisfactory. A claim for a revised decision means that you ask the authority or body to look at the matter again and make a decision that is legal and/or has proper contents.

Any member of the municipality may make a claim for a revised decision. Members of a municipality include the people who live in it and organisations, institutions and foundations established in it. All those who own or control real estate within a municipality's area are also its members. For example, people who have holiday houses in a municipality are its members.

Organisations that may claim for a revised decision include parishes, joint municipal authorities, public limited companies, co-operatives and associations.

You should claim for a revised decision within 14 days after you were informed of the decision. In a matter that concerns you personally, you would be informed by mail or e-mail. You will be regarded as having been informed of the decision seven days after it was sent to you by post, or three days after it was sent electronically.

For example, if the claim is about a local executive’s decision on an issue that does not concern you personally, you will be regarded as having been informed of it seven days after the minutes have been checked and published online.

A claim for a revised decision is a letter you write in your own words to the body that made the decision or a higher authority that supervises an authority. The address is given in the decision.

In your letter, you should say which decision you would like to have changed, and explain why you think it is wrong. What do you think the decision should be like and why? If you have documents or other material that support your views, attach them to your claim.

An authority or a body must deal with a claim for a revised decision without delay. A claim for a revised decision made to the local executive, for example, should be handled at the next meeting, if possible.

The authority or body must look at the requests made in the claim and do something about them if necessary. In any case, its reply to the claim must be well justified. If the authority finds errors in the facts or spelling errors in the decision in this connection, it must correct them.

If the authority or body accepts the claim, it usually cancels the original decision or issues a new decision to replace it.

If your claim does not result in the change you were hoping for and you wish to take it further, you can make an appeal against the decision of a municipal authority to the administrative court.  You should make this appeal within 30 days after you were informed of the reply to your claim.

You cannot make a claim for a revised decision concerning decisions made by a local executive or the highest decision-making body of a joint municipal authority. On the other hand, you may be able to make an appeal against the decision of a municipal authority directly to the administrative court.

If the decision can be appealed, this is stated in the decision.