Erb and Farris v. Expert Delivery Ltd., (1995) 167 N.B.R.(2d) 113 (TD)

• Judge: McLellan, J.
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick (Canada)
• Case Date: August 24, 1995
• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Citations: (1995), 167 N.B.R.(2d) 113 (TD);1995 CanLII 8874 (NB QB);1958 CanLII 284 (NB QB);167 NBR (2d) 113;14 CCEL (2d) 155

Erb v. Expert Delivery Ltd. (1995), 167 N.B.R.(2d) 113 (TD);

    167 R.N.-B.(2e) 113; 427 A.P.R. 113

MLB headnote and full text

[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

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Brian W. Erb (plaintiff) v. Expert Delivery Ltd. (defendant)

(S/SC/30/95)

James Farris (plaintiff) v. Expert Delivery Ltd. (defendant)

(S/SC/47/95)

Indexed As: Erb and Farris v. Expert Delivery Ltd.

New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench

Trial Division

Judicial District of Saint John

McLellan, J.

August 31, 1995.

Summary:

The plaintiffs sued the defendant for dam­ages for wrongful dismissal.

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, allowed the action.

Damages - Topic 7070

Contracts - Contracts for services - Breach - Wrongful dismissal - Indepen­dent contractors - The plaintiffs, who worked for a delivery service for four years, were ter­minated without notice - They sued the delivery service company for damages for wrong­ful dis­missal - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, held that the plaintiffs were independent contractors, but were entitled to one month's salary in lieu of notice where the nature of their relationship was "akin to an employment one".

Cases Noticed:

Montreal (City) v. Montreal Locomotive Works Ltd., [1947] 1 D.L.R. 161 (P.C.), refd to. [para. 4].

Stevenson Jordan & Harrison Ltd. v. Mac­Donald et al., [1952] 1 T.L.R. 101 (Eng. C.A.), refd to. [para. 4].

Co-operators Insurance Association v. Kearney, [1965] S.C.R. 106; 48 D.L.R.(2d) 1, refd to. [para. 4].

Poirier v. Kovats (1976), 14 N.B.R.(2d) 262; 15 A.P.R. 262 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 4].

Hachey v. Dieppe (Town) (1984), 51 N.B.R.(2d) 424; 134 A.P.R. 424 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 4].

Machtinger v. Hoj Industries Ltd., [1992] 1 S.C.R. 986; 136 N.R. 40; 53 O.A.C. 200; 91 D.L.R.(4th) 491, refd to. [para. 7].

Hillis Oil & Sales Ltd. v. Wynn's Canada Ltd., [1986] 1 S.C.R. 57; 65 N.R. 231; 71 N.S.R.(2d) 353; 171 A.P.R. 353, refd to. [para. 8].

Mancino v. Nelson Aggregate Co., [1994] O.J. No. 159 (Ont. Gen. Div.), appld. [para. 10].

Paper Sales Corp. v. Miller Brothers Co. (1962) Ltd. (1975), 7 O.R.(2d) 460; 55 D.L.R.(3d) 492; (H.C.), affd. 7 O.R. (2d) 465; 55 D.L.R.(3d) 497 (C.A.), refd to. [paras. 6, 12].

Counsel:

Brian W. Erb, on his own behalf;

James Farris, on his own behalf;

Catherine A. Lahey, for the defendant.

This case was heard on August 24, 1995, before McLellan, J., of the New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, Judicial District of Saint John, who delivered the following judgment on August 31, 1995.