Mother of three Elizabeth Slakey thought the worst was over after she accepted her family home in Haberfield would be demolished to make way for a motorway.
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But after determining to "just get on with it" more than a year ago, she says she is still fighting for fair compensation for the loss of her home.
Ms Slakey is one of dozens of residents who say they are being offered hundreds of thousands of dollars below market value for properties in the path of the WestConnex.
Slater and Gordon senior compulsory acquisition lawyer Vincent Butcher, who represents about 70 property owners from Homebush to St Peters, said he was consistently seeing offers 20 to 50 per cent below what the properties were worth.
He said some clients had even received offers before an inspection of their property had been made. The overall process was rushed and based on a blanket approach, he said.
"They are basing their figures on sales they say are relevant, and they are basing their figures on a market that they say is not as volatile in an upwards scale as everybody knows it is," Mr Butcher said.
"It is an extremely emotional and difficult process for the property owners due to no fault of their own but simply because there has been a disregard to that market activity."
The WestConnex motorway involves a series of road projects, mostly through Sydney's inner west, that will create a continous 33-kilometre motorway.
More than 200 properties will be acquired for the WestConnex, with the bulk being demolished to make way for the proposed M4 East motorway from Homebush to Haberfield.
Ms Slakey says the difference between her independent valuation and the government-provided independent valuation for her three-bedroom home on Ramsay Street was close to $350,000.
The protracted negotiation process had since been difficult and unfruitful, she said.
"Obviously we have no chance at buying in Haberfield again on their current offer. We worked really hard to get here, a really focused attempt, and we would struggle to even buy an apartment on their current offer," she said.
WestConnex Action Group spokeswoman Pauline Lockie, who is losing her home in St Peters, said some property owners had settled for offers lower than what they were entitled to because they were tired of the negotiation process or needed to find a new home quickly.
"It appears there is a systematic strategy of making people fight for their legal entitlements, but most people are too frightened to speak out in case they're treated even more poorly," she said.
A WestConnex Delivery Authority spokeswoman said the valuation process was based on current market sales evidence and offers reflected the property market.
"If there is a difference between the two valuations, a negotiation process take place between the two valuers. Roads and Maritime Services endeavours at all times to negotiate mutual agreement on the value of the property," she said.
The authority spokeswoman said an offer would only be made before a property inspection if the owner had denied access to a valuer.
As well as a right to receive market value for their property, property owners are compensated for any expenses incurred due to the acquisition, such as moving costs, conveyancing fees or stamp duty on a new home.
But even if residents like Ms Slakey do receive higher offers for their home, they will still be forced to buy in a surging property market.
Ray White Haberfield real estate principal Alfio Musumeci said it would be "almost impossible" for Ms Slakey to relocate in Haberfield.
"At the moment there is a shortage of stock," he said. "We just saw a two-bedroom unit, with a 1960s kitchen and bathroom, go for $900,000."
