Court Of Appeal Summaries (July 3 - 7, 2023)

• Published date: 12 July 2023
• Subject Matter: Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration, Real Estate and Construction, Family and Matrimonial, Family Law, Court Procedure, Real Estate, Divorce
• Law Firm: Blaney McMurtry LLP
• Author: Mr John Polyzogopoulos

Good afternoon.

Following are this week's summaries of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of July 3, 2023.

In 9725440 Canada Inc. v. Vijayakumar, the Court considered the remedy of specific performance in failed real estate transaction. The Court had to consider the intentions for purchase of the property and whether the evidence supported a family home rather investment-driven purchase. The evidence of intention relied by the court below was inadmissible hearsay, accordingly, the Court set aside the order for specific performance.

In Falsetto v Falsetto, the Court had the opportunity to consider the presumption of resulting trust for a parent which arises when a parent gratuitously transfer property to their adult child. The appellant had transferred substantial assets to his son, who effected some of the transfers as his father's attorney. The appellant claimed that his son wrongfully misappropriated the monies, and the son claimed that the assets were gifts. The Court agreed with the court below that the appellant's son had rebutted the presumption of resulting trust, and proved that the impugned transfers were gifts made to him by his father. There was therefore breach of fiduciary obligations in making those transfers for his own benefit.

In a family law case, Ahluwalia v Ahluwalia, the Court held that the trial judge's decision to create a new tort, family violence, was unnecessary because the existing intentional torts of assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, properly applied, addressed the harm suffered by the wife in this case. The Court engaged in a lengthy analysis regarding the importance of addressing the pervasive social problem of intimate partner violence and on the shift away from the adversarial system and towards other forms of dispute resolution to address family disputes.

In Tega Homes (Attika) Inc. v. Spencedale Properties Limited, a case about the quantification of damages arising from the breach by a vendor under an agreement of purchase and sale of commercial land, the Court made some adjustments to the amount of damages awarded by the trial judge, but generally agreed with the trial judge's analysis..

In Primont (Castelmont) Inc. v. Friuli Benevolent Corporation, the Court agreed with the application judge that an easement providing for access did not also provide for parking over the easement lands..

Other topics this week included municipal liability related to a motor vehicle accident and specific performance.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable weekend.

John Polyzogopoulos
Blaney McMurtry LLP
416.593.2953 Email

Ines Ferreira
Blaney McMurtry LLP
416.593.2953 Email

Table of Contents

Civil Decisions

9725440 Canada Inc. v. Vijayakumar, 2023 ONCA 466

Keywords: Contracts, Real Property, Agreements of Purchase and Sale of Land, Remedies, Specific Performance, Southcott Estates Inc. v. Toronto Catholic District School Board, 2012 SCC 51, Erie Sand & Gravel Limited v. Tri-B Acres Inc., 2009 ONCA 709, John E. Dodge Holdings Ltd. v. 805062 Ontario Ltd. (2001), 56 O.R. (3d) 341 (Sup. Ct.), aff'd (2003) 63 O.R. (3d) 304 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused, [2003] S.C.C.A. No. 145, Lucas v. 1858793 Ontario Inc. (Howard Park), 2021 ONCA 52, Semelhago v. Paramadevan, [1996] 2 S.C.R. 415, Matthew Brady Self Storage Corporation v. InStorage Limited Partnership, 2014 ONCA 858, R. v. Khelawon, 2006 SCC 57, R. v. Vickers, 2020 ONCA 275, R. v. F.(W.J.), [1999] 3 S.C.R. 569, Guest Tek Interactive Entertainment Ltd. v. Nomadix, Inc., 2020 FC 860, R. v. Belem, 2017 ONSC 2213, Barry J. Reiter and Robert J. Sharpe, Wroth v. Tyler: Must Equity Remedy Contract Damages?, (1978-79) 3 Can. Bus. L.J. 146

Falsetto v. Falsetto, 2023 ONCA 469

Keywords: Wills and Estates, Inter Vivos Transfers, Gifts, Donative Intent, Presumption of Resulting Trust, Powers of Attorney, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Pecore v Pecore, 2007 SCC 17, Richardson (Estate Trustee of) v Mew, 2009 ONCA 403, Egli v Egli, 2004 BCSC 529, Housen v Nikolaisen, 2002 SCC 33, Farsi v Da Rocha, 2020 ONCA 92, Teixeira v Markgraf Estate, 2017 ONCA 819

Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia, 2023 ONCA 476

Keywords: Family law, Intentional Torts, Assault, Battery, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Novel Torts, Family Violence, Coercive Control, Battered Women's Syndrome, Damages, Compensatory Damages, Aggravated Damages, Punitive Damages, Divorce Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 3 (2nd Supp.), ss. 2 and 16, Children's Law Reform Act, R.S.O. 1980, c. 68, Family Law Rules, O. Reg. 114/99, General Recommendation No. 35 (2017), UN Doc. CEDAW/C/GC/35: Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women ("CEDAW"), Schuetze v. Pyper, 2021 BCSC 2209, Michel v. Graydon, 2020 SCC 24, Frame v. Smith, [1987] 2 S.C.R. 99, Leitch v. Novac, 2020 ONCA 257, Leskun v. Leskun, 2006 SCC 25, Lo v. Lo (2009), 70 R.F.L. (6th) 309 (Ont. S.C.), Murray v. Toth, 2012 ONSC 5815, Jones v. Tsige, 2012 ONCA 32, Merrifield v. Canada (Attorney General), 2019 ONCA 205, Watkins v. Olafson, [1989] 2 S.C.R. 750, Non-Marine Underwriters, Lloyd's of London v. Scalera, 2000 SCC 24, Caplan v. Atas, 2021 ONSC 670, Alberta Health Services v. Johnston, 2023 ABKB 209, Nevsun Resources Ltd. v. Araya, 2020 SCC 5, Barker v. Barker, 2022 ONCA 567, Barker v. Barker, 2020 ONSC 3746, Prinzo v. Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care (2002), 60 O.R. (3d) 474 (C.A.), Saadati v. Moorhead, 2017 SCC 28, N.C. v. W.R.B., [1999] O.J. No. 3633, C.S.F. v. J.F., [2002] O.J. No. 1350, O.O.E. v. A.O.E., 2019 SKQB 48, MacKay v. Buelow (1995), 11 R.F.L. (4th) 403 (Ont. Gen. Div.), Valenti v. Valenti (1996), 21 R.F.L. (4th) 246 (Ont. Gen. Div.), aff'd (1998) 41 R.F.L. (4th) 289 (C.A.), Dhaliwal v. Dhaliwal, [1997] O.J. No. 5964 (Gen. Div.), N.C. v W.R.B., [1999] OJ No 3633 (S.C.), Calin v. Calin, 2019 ONSC 3564, Jane Doe 72511 v. Morgan, 2018 ONSC 6607, Farkas v. Kovacs, [1989] O.J. No. 2387 (Dist. Ct.), S. (L.N.) v. K. (W.M.), 1999 ABQB 478, Van Dusen v. Van Dusen, 2010 ONSC 220, McLean v. Danicic (2009), 95 O.R. (3d) 570 (S.C.), Wandich v. Viele (2002), 24 R.F.L. (5th) 427 (Ont. S.C.), Rezel v. Rezel (2007), 37 R.F.L. (6th) 445 (Ont. S.C.), Warman v. Grosvenor (2008), 92 O.R. (3d) 663 (Sup. Ct), Young v. Borzoni, 2007 BCCA 16, Mustapha v. Culligan of Canada Ltd., 2008 SCC 27, Bothwell v. London Health Sciences Centre, 2023 ONCA 323, Whiten v. Pilot Insurance, 2002 SCC 18, R. v. A.J.K., 2022 ONCA 487, R. v. Cunningham, 2023 ONCA 36, McNamee v. McNamee, 2011 ONCA 533, Martin v. Sansome, 2014 ONCA 14, Halliwell v. Halliwell, 2017 ONCA 349, Hon. Allen M. Linden, et al., Canadian Tort Law, 10th ed. (Toronto: LexisNexis, 2015), Allen M. Linden, Canadian Tort Law, 7th ed. (Markham, Ont.: Butterworths, 2001), Prof. G.H.L. Fridman, The Law of Torts in Canada (Toronto: Carswell, 1989), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

Tega Homes (Attika) Inc. v. Spencedale Properties Limited, 2023 ONCA 475

Keywords: Contracts, Real Property, Agreements of Purchase and Sale of Land, Joint Venture Agreements, Expectation Damages, Tega Homes (Attika) Inc. v. Spencedale Properties Ltd., 2018 ONSC 6048, Akelius Canada Ltd. v. 2436196 Ontario Inc., 2022 ONCA 259, 6472047 Ontario Ltd. v. Fleischer (2001), 56 O.R. (3d) 417 (C.A.), 100 Main Street Ltd. v. W.B. Sullivan Construction Ltd. (1978), 20 O.R. (2d) 401 (C.A.), PreMD Inc. v. Ogilvy Renault LLP, 2013 ONCA 412

Primont (Castelmont) Inc. v. Friuli Benevolent Corporation, 2023 ONCA 477

Keywords: Real Property, Easements, Interpretation, Re City of Burlington and Clairton Village, (1979) 24 O.R. (2d) 586 (Ont. C.A.), MacKenzie v. Matthews, [1998] O.J. 5342 (Gen. Div.), [1999] O.J. No. 4602 (C.A.), Moncrief v. Jamieson, [2007] U.K.H.L. 42, Fallowfield v. Bourgault, (2004), 68 O.R. (3d) 417 (C.A.), DeforestBros. v. Tuck, 2020 ONSC 6439

Short Civil Decisions

Wasylyk v. Simcoe (County), 2023 ONCA 473

Keywords: Torts, Negligence, MVA, Municipal Liability, Road Repair, Civil Procedure, Appeals, Appeal Book and Compendium, Evidence, Admissibility, Expert Evidence, Aides Memoire, Rules of Civil Procedure, r. 53.03, Moore v. Getahun, 2015 ONCA 55, 1162740 Ontario Ltd. v. Pingue, 2017 ONCA 52

Gu v. Nothdurft, 2023 ONCA 480

Keywords: Contracts, Real Property, Agreements of Purchase and Sale of Land, Remedies, Specific Performance, Mason v. Freedman, [1958] S.C.R. 483, Sattva Capital Corp. v. Creston Moly Corp., 2014 SCC 53, Chan v. Mangal, 2022 ONSC 2068, 1954294 Ontario Ltd. v. Gracegreen Real Estate Development Ltd., 2017 ONSC 6369, Anne Warner La Forest, Anger & Honsberger Law of Real Property, 3rd ed. (Toronto: Thomson Reuters Canada, 2021) (loose-leaf updated 2022, release 1)

CIVIL DECISIONS

9725440 Canada Inc. v. Vijayakumar, 2023 ONCA 466

[Roberts, Nordheimer and Thorburn JJ.A.]

Counsel:

P. Summers and S. Deak, for the appellants

M. Wortzman and C. E. Allen, for the respondents

Keywords: Contracts, Real Property, Agreements of Purchase and Sale of Land, Remedies, Specific Performance, Southcott Estates Inc. v. Toronto Catholic District School Board, 2012 SCC 51, Erie Sand & Gravel Limited v. Tri-B Acres Inc., 2009 ONCA 709, John E. Dodge Holdings Ltd. v. 805062 Ontario Ltd. (2001), 56 O.R. (3d) 341 (Sup. Ct.), aff'd (2003) 63 O.R. (3d) 304 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused, [2003] S.C.C.A. No. 145, Lucas v. 1858793 Ontario Inc. (Howard Park), 2021 ONCA 52, Semelhago v. Paramadevan, [1996] 2 S.C.R. 415, Matthew Brady Self Storage Corporation v. InStorage Limited Partnership, 2014 ONCA 858, R. v. Khelawon, 2006 SCC 57, R. v. Vickers, 2020 ONCA 275, R. v. F.(W.J.), [1999] 3 S.C.R. 569, Guest Tek Interactive Entertainment Ltd. v. Nomadix, Inc., 2020 FC 860, R. v. Belem, 2017 ONSC 2213, Barry J. Reiter and Robert J. Sharpe, Wroth v. Tyler: Must Equity Remedy Contract Damages?, (1978-79) 3 Can. Bus. L.J. 146

facts:

On June 8, 2017, the respondent's 50% shareholder and then sole director and officer ("Mr. L"), his son, and real estate agent, met with the...