Acquest/Alberta Mining Inc. v. Barry Developments Inc., (1999) 241 A.R. 1 (QB)

• Judge: Hutchinson, J.
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta (Canada)
• Case Date: June 30, 1999
• Citations: (1999), 241 A.R. 1 (QB)

Acquest/Alta. Mining Inc. v. Barry Dev. (1999), 241 A.R. 1 (QB)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [1999] A.R. TBEd. JN.076

Acquest/Alberta Mining Inc. (applicant) v. Barry Developments Inc. (respondent)

(Action No. 9901 09331)

Indexed As: Acquest/Alberta Mining Inc. v. Barry Developments Inc.

Alberta Court of Queen's Bench

Judicial District of Calgary

Hutchinson, J.

June 30, 1999.

Summary:

Acquest/Alberta Mining Inc. applied under s. 139(1) of the Land Titles Act to have Barry Developments Inc. show cause why the caveats it had filed against Acquest's lands should not be discharged.

The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench ordered that the caveats be discharged.

Real Property - Topic 7930

Title - Registration of instruments - Caveats - Discharge - A land owner applied under s. 139 of the Land Titles Act to have a caveator show cause why its caveats should not be discharged - The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench discussed the applicable test and adopted the prima facie claim test in the circumstances of the case - The court stated that the burden of proof was on the caveator to show cause why its caveat should not be discharged - See paragraphs 60 to 66.

Real Property - Topic 7930

Title - Registration of instruments - Caveats - Discharge - A land owner (Acquest) applied under s. 139 of the Land Titles Act to have a caveator (Barry) show cause why its caveats should not be dis­charged - The caveats were based on an alleged agreement by Barry to purchase the lands - Acquest argued, inter alia, that Barry failed to notify it that Barry wished to waive the purchaser's conditions within the time specified under the agreement and Barry's offer was therefore terminated - The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench held that the effect of not giving notice was to terminate the agreement - When the agree­ment terminated, Barry's interest in the land ended and the caveats could no longer be supported - The court directed that the caveats be discharged forthwith - See paragraphs 67 to 74.

Real Property - Topic 7930

Title - Registration of instruments - Caveats - Discharge - A land owner (Acquest) applied under s. 139 of the Land Titles Act to have a caveator (Barry) show cause why its caveats should not be dis­charged - Section 180.1(1)(d)(ii) prevented a Registrar from registering, inter alia, an order discharging a caveat unless accom­panied by a certificate stating that the time for appeal had expired and no appeal was filed - Acquest requested that the require­ments of s. 180.1(1) be dispensed with - Barry argued that such an order would preclude an automatic stay of the order pending an appeal - The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench directed that the caveats be discharged forthwith and registered not­withstanding s. 180.1(1) - Delay could cause Acquest substantial harm - The property in question was investment prop­erty and was not unique - See paragraphs 58 and 74.

Real Property - Topic 7939

Title - Registration of instruments - Caveats - Practice - [See third Real Prop­erty - Topic 7930 ].

Cases Noticed:

Assaly (Thomas C.) Corp. v. Alberta Industrial Developments Ltd. (1982), 41 A.R. 436 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

Ram v. Jinnah (1982), 39 A.R. 40 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 19].

Human Rights Commission (Ont.) and O'Malley v. Simpsons-Sears, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 536; 64 N.R. 161; 12 O.A.C. 241; 23 D.L.R.(4th) 321; 9 C.C.E.L. 185; 17 Admin. L.R. 89; 86 C.L.L.C. 17,002, refd to. [para. 20].

Ontario Human Rights Commission - see Human Rights Commission (Ont.)

McMurray Imperial Enterprises Ltd. v. Brimstone Acquisitions & Asset Manage­ment Inc. (1997), 210 A.R. 97 (Q.B. Master), refd to. [para. 25].

Semelhago v. Paramadevan, [1996] 2 S.C.R. 415; 197 N.R. 379; 91 O.A.C. 379; 136 D.L.R.(4th) 1, refd to. [para. 27].

White Room Ltd. v. Calgary (City) (1998), 216 A.R. 44; 175 W.A.C. 44 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 28].

Wile v. Cook, [1986] 2 S.C.R. 317; 69 N.R. 67; 75 N.S.R.(2d) 66; 186 A.P.R. 66; 31 D.L.R.(4th) 205, refd to. [para. 29].

Becker Developments Ltd. v. Alberta (1996), 185 A.R. 20 (Q.B. Master), refd to. [para. 31].

Marlo Equities v. Cline et al. (1998), 225 A.R. 87 (Q.B. Master), refd to. [para. 32].

Genstar Properties Ltd. v. Jerol Investments Ltd. (1985), 68 A.R. 321 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 33].

Triple Five Corp. v. Eaton (T.) Co. and Mayson (1977), 4 A.R. 222 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 34].

Zwick v. Parkdale (Rural Municipality), [1934] 1 W.W.R. 17 (Sask. K.B.), refd to. [para. 38].

Nor Holdings Ltd. and McMurray Inn Ltd. v. Munzel Properties Ltd. (1982), 50 A.R. 258 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 38].

Wark Caveat, Re (1909), 2 Sask. L.R. 431 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 38].

Dynamic Transport Ltd. v. O.K. Detailing Ltd. (1978), 20 N.R. 500; 9 A.R. 308; 85 D.L.R.(3d) 19 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 43].

Hipple v. Power Farms Ltd. (1991), 117 A.R. 150; 2 W.A.C. 150; 81 Alta. L.R.(2d) 97 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 45].

Steiner et al. v. E.H.D. Investments Ltd., [1977] 6 W.W.R. 308; 6 A.R. 113 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 46].

100 Main Street Ltd. v. Sullivan (W.B.) Construction Ltd. (1978), 88 D.L.R.(3d) 1 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 49].

Salama Enterprises (1988) Inc. v. Grewal, [1992] 4 W.W.R. 126; 12 B.C.A.C. 96; 23 W.A.C. 96 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 50].

Landbank Minerals Ltd. v. Wesgeo Enter­prises Ltd. and Tri-Link Resources Ltd., [1981] 5 W.W.R. 524; 30 A.R. 300; 21 R.P.R. 220 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 52].

Nicola Valley Lumber Co. v. Meeker, [1917] 1 W.W.R. 556 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 54].

Texas Industries Ltd. v. Northwestern Funding Corp. (1978), 8 A.R. 87; 4 Alta. L.R.(2d) 277 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 61].

McCready v. McMurray (1912), 1 W.W.R. 758; 22 Man.R. 78; 1 D.L.R. 285, refd to. [para. 61].

Gaar Scott Co., Re (1909), 12 W.L.R. 245 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 61].

Statutes Noticed:

Land Titles Act, R.S.A. 1980, c. L-5, sect. 139(1), sect. 140, sect. 180.1(1)(d)(ii), sect. 180.1(3) [para. 2].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Black's Law Dictionary (5th Ed. 1979) [para. 65].

Webster's Dictionary [para. 13].

Counsel:

D. Gallagher, for the applicant;

Michael J. Smith, for the respondent.

This application was heard before Hutchinson, J., of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench, Judicial District of Calgary. The following memorandum of judgment was delivered on June 30, 1999.