What is the “clean hands doctrine”?
May 5, 2023 By Nick Melchiorre You may have heard the expression “coming to court with clean hands”. Perhaps you have a vague idea what you think it may mean or you may have no idea. We are here to help your understanding because, like so much in law, a few simple words can have […]
Equity and the Defence of Dishonesty
February 24, 2023 By Brian Babcock It must take a particular kind of bravery to execute a multimillion-dollar fraud against the government. That same foolish bravery may then lead the fraudster to try to defend an action by the government to recover the money on the basis that it is really the government’s fault for […]
Can you appeal court costs?
February 24, 2023 By Jonathon Clark In Ontario it is normal that a successful party in a lawsuit is awarded a portion of their legal expenses as court costs following a trial, motion, or other event. THE ISSUE You are most likely aware that most final judgments are subject to appeal to the Court of […]
The Importance of Written Agreements in Oppression Remedy Cases
February 19, 2023 By Jonathon Clark We have written a number of articles on the oppression remedy so you may be thinking that there must be nothing left to say. THE ISSUE Except, we have yet to write about a case emphasizing the importance of written agreements in resolving the fallout of an oppression claim. […]
What About Innocent Misrepresentation?
February 19, 2023 By Nick Melchiorre We have previously written about fraudulent misrepresentation, often simply called fraud or civil fraud, and its ugly stepsister, negligent misrepresentation. THE ISSUE But what happens when the opposite party in a contract induces you to enter into the contract with a representation that is false, but which they believe […]
Building a Record for the Appeal
February 10, 2023 By Brian Babcock What just might be worse than losing your case at trial? Winning the case and then having to go back to try it all over again because not only does the Court of Appeal grant the appeal, but they also decide that the factual record from the trial is […]
What Is Negligent Misrepresentation?
February 4, 2023 By Jonathon Clark We have mentioned the phrase “negligent misrepresentation” in several articles so far. We have yet to discuss negligent misrepresentation in an article specifically dedicated to the subject. That probably leaves some of you wondering “what is negligent misrepresentation?”, either because you landed here by Googling the term or because […]
A Million Dollar Parking Ticket?
January 27, 2023 By Mark Mikulasik THE ISSUE No, not really a million-dollar parking ticket. Just a million dollar fine for civil contempt arising from a dispute about illegal parking. The hurt in your pocketbook would be just as painful. THE CASE In Caledon (Town) v. Darzi Holdings Ltd., the individual appellant’s construction company improperly […]
To Win, You Need Evidence
January 27, 2023 By Nick Melchiorre Leaving a judge in a quandary is never a good thing. Lawsuits over aborted real estate transactions seemed to be popping up almost as often as estate litigation these days. This is particularly true in the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe, but it’s bound to be on […]
Damages When The Deal Does Not Close
January 13, 2023 By Nick Melchiorre THE ISSUE If you are the seller of a house and the buyer fails to close, how do you prove your damages? If you said that it is simply the difference between the two sale prices if you took reasonable steps to sell the property in an arm’s length […]