Burke, Re, (1992) 104 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 305 (NFTD)

• Judge: Leo D. Barry, J.
• Court: Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada)
• Case Date: December 15, 1992
• Jurisdiction: Newfoundland and Labrador
• Citations: (1992), 104 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 305 (NFTD)

Burke, Re (1992), 104 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 305 (NFTD);

    329 A.P.R. 305

MLB headnote and full text

In The Matter Of the Quieting of Titles Act, Chapter Q-3 of the Revised Statutes of Newfoundland, 1990, as amended;

And In The Matter Of a piece or parcel of land situate and being on the Eastern side of Torbay Road in the City of St. John's in the Electoral District of St. John's East Extern in the Province of Newfoundland, Canada;

And In The Matter Of an application of Elizabeth Burke of the City of St. John's in the Province of Newfoundland, Canada.

(St. J. No. 1838)

Indexed As: Burke, Re

Newfoundland Supreme Court

Trial Division

Leo D. Barry, J.

December 23, 1992.

Summary:

Burke applied for a quieting of title of a certain parcel of land.

The Newfoundland Supreme Court, Trial Division, dealt with the application accord­ingly.

Real Property - Topic 5088

Title - Quieting of title - Basis of claim­ant's title - Unjust enrichment - Hickey owned a parcel of land - His uncle helped him fix up the property - Hickey's mother (Burke) obtained the property from Hickey - The uncle claimed an interest in the property alleging that Hickey and his mother were unjustly enriched by the work he per­formed on the property without compensa­tion - The Newfoundland Supreme Court, Trial Division, dismissed the uncle's claim because there was no unjust enrichment, where the uncle per­formed the work with­out a reasonable expectation of receiving a subsequent benefit - Rather, the uncle voluntarily helped his nephew.

Restitution - Topic 62

Unjust enrichment - What constitutes - [See Real Property - Topic 5088 ].

Cases Noticed:

Rathwell v. Rathwell, [1978] 2 S.C.R. 436; 19 N.R. 91; 83 D.L.R.(3d) 289; [1978] 2 W.W.R. 101; 1 E.T.R. 307; 1 R.F.L.(2d) 1, refd to. [para. 6].

Becker v. Pettkus, [1980] 2 S.C.R. 834; 34 N.R. 384; 117 D.L.R.(3d) 257; 19 R.F.L.(2d) 165; 8 E.T.R. 143, refd to. [para. 7].

Sorochan v. Sorochan, [1986] 2 S.C.R. 38; 69 N.R. 81; 74 A.R. 67; [1986] 5 W.W.R. 289; 2 R.F.L.(2d) 225; 46 Alta. L.R.(2d) 97, refd to. [para. 9].

Rawluk v. Rawluk, [1990] 1 S.C.R. 70; 103 N.R. 321; 38 O.A.C. 81; 23 R.F.L.(3d) 337; 65 D.L.R.(4th) 161; 36 E.T.R. 1; 71 O.R.(2d) 480, refd to. [para. 10].

Linton v. Linton (1988), 64 O.R.(2d) 18; 49 D.L.R.(4th) 278; 11 R.F.L.(3d) 444 (H.C.), affd. (1991), 42 O.A.C. 328; 30 R.F.L.(3d) 1; 1 O.R.(3d) 1; 75 D.L.R.(4th) 637; 41 E.T.R. 85 (C.A.), dist. [para. 22].

Deglman v. Guaranty Trust, [1954] S.C.R. 725; [1954] 3 D.L.R. 785, dist. [para. 23].

Hussey v. Palmer, [1972] 3 All E.R. 744 (C.A.), dist. [para. 24].

Davis v. Davis and Davis (1982), 41 N.B.R.(2d) 590; 107 A.P.R. 590 (C.A.), dist. [para. 25].

McLellan v. McLellan (1983), 50 N.B.R.(2d) 432; 131 A.P.R. 432; 2 D.L.R.(4th) 172; 36 R.F.L.(2d) 113 (C.A.), dist. [para. 26].

Goodbody v. Bank of Montreal (1974), 4 O.R.(2d) 147; 47 D.L.R.(3d) 335 (H.C.), dist. [para. 27].

Statutes Noticed:

Quieting of Titles Act, R.S.N. 1990, c. Q-3, sect. 14 [para. 5].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Bissett-Johnson and Holland, Matrimonial Property Law in Canada (1991), pp. I-2 [para. 11]; I-7 [para. 12].

Counsel:

Timothy J. Chalker, for Elizabeth Burke;

Sheila Greene, for David McDonald.

This application was heard on November 25 and December 3 and 8, 1992, at St. John's, Newfoundland, before Leo D. Barry, J., of the Newfoundland Supreme Court, Trial Division, who delivered the following oral decision on December 15, 1992, which was filed on December 23, 1992.