Hill v. Mattatall, (1996) 176 N.B.R.(2d) 343 (CA)

• Judge: Hoyt, C.J.N.B., Rice and Bastarache, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (New Brunswick)
• Case Date: March 13, 1996
• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Citations: (1996), 176 N.B.R.(2d) 343 (CA)

Hill v. Mattatall (1996), 176 N.B.R.(2d) 343 (CA);

    176 R.N.-B.(2e) 343; 447 A.P.R. 343

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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James Lawson Mattatall and Ann P. Mattatall (defendants/appellants) v. Eric Hill (plaintiff/respondent)

(261/95/CA)

Indexed As: Hill v. Mattatall

New Brunswick Court of Appeal

Hoyt, C.J.N.B., Rice and Bastarache, JJ.A.

April 18, 1996.

Summary:

Hill was injured in a single vehicle acci­dent. Almost two years after the accident, Hill filed a notice of action and a generally endorsed statement of claim but failed to serve the defendants. Seven years after the accident, Hill applied under rule 3.02 of the Rules of Court to extend the time for ser­vice.

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, in a decision not reported in this series of reports, allowed the application. The defendants appealed.

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal, Bastarache, J.A., dissenting, dismissed the appeal.

Practice - Topic 2587

Service - Service of notices, summons, etc. - Notice of action - Extension of time for - Hill was injured in a single vehicle accident - Almost two years after the accident, Hill filed a notice of action and a generally endorsed statement of claim but failed to serve the defendants - Seven years after the accident, Hill applied under rule 3.02 to extend the time for service - The trial judge allowed the application, stating that the defendants would not suffer substantial injustice - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal refused to disturb the trial judge's decision - The court stated that "[a] solicitor's delay, unless the delay has an oblique motive, ... is a neutral factor in assessing the injustice each party would suffer." - See paragraphs 1 to 14.

Practice - Topic 2606

Service - Service and delivery of plead­ings - Extension of time for - [See Prac­tice - Topic 2587 ].

Cases Noticed:

Bridges v. Daeres (1987), 83 N.B.R.(2d) 331; 212 A.P.R. 331 (C.A.), refd to. [paras. 9, 21].

Spencer v. King and Mockler, Allen & Dixon (1984), 59 N.B.R.(2d) 162; 154 A.P.R. 162 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 10].

Simpson v. Saskatchewan Government Insurance Office (1967), 65 D.L.R.(2d) 324 (Sask. C.A.), refd to. [para. 10].

Canada v. Pelletier (1984), 58 N.B.R.(2d) 184; 151 A.P.R. 184 (T.D.), refd to. [paras. 10, 21].

Jardine v. Kent General Insurance Corp. et al. (1988), 90 N.B.R.(2d) 213; 228 A.P.R. 213 (T.D.), refd to. [paras. 10, 21].

Gifford v. Phalen Estate, [1995] N.B.J. No. 586 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 10].

Pic Realty Canada Ltd. and Rocca Group Ltd. v. Disher (1982), 42 N.B.R.(2d) 41; 110 A.P.R. 41 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 11].

Dabrowski Estate v. York Structural Steel Ltd. et al. (1995), 161 N.B.R.(2d) 305; 414 A.P.R. 305 (C.A.), refd to. [paras. 11, 28].

Golding v. Wharton Saltworks Co. (1876), 1 Q.B.D. 374 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 11].

Weldon v. Neal (1887), 56 L.J.Q.B. 621; 19 Q.B.D. 394 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 23].

McFetters v. Ye Old City Hall Tavern (1985), 15 O.A.C. 60; 55 O.R.(2d) 722 (Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 23].

McFetters et al. v. Drau Realty Ltd. et al. - see McFetters v. Ye Old City Hall Tavern.

Clark v. Naqvi (1990), 99 N.B.R.(2d) 271; 250 A.P.R. 271 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 23].

Perrie v. Martin, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 41; 64 N.R. 195; 12 O.A.C. 269, refd to. [para. 24].

Basarsky v. Quinlan, [1972] 1 S.C.R. 380, refd to. [para. 25].

Tannas v. Mosser, [1930] 4 D.L.R. 192 (Sask. C.A.), refd to. [para. 26].

Hall v. Meyrick, [1957] 2 All E.R. 722 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 26].

Cooper v. Williams, [1963] 2 All E.R. 282 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 26].

Deaville v. Boegeman (1985), 6 O.A.C. 297; 14 D.L.R.(4th) 81 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 27].

Coplen Estate et al. v. Bauman Estate et al. (1989), 36 O.A.C. 321; 64 D.L.R.(4th) 750 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 28].

Swain Estate v. Lake of the Woods Dis­trict Hospital (1992), 56 O.A.C. 327; 93 D.L.R.(4th) 440 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 28].

O'Brien v. Stephen et al. (1993), 142 N.B.R.(2d) 227; 364 A.P.R. 227 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 28].

Minter v. Reeves (1979), 98 D.L.R.(3d) 90 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 30].

Prossak v. Robinson (1980), 20 B.C.L.R. 167 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 32].

Wilder Estate et al. v. Davis & Co. (1994), 41 B.C.A.C. 252; 66 W.A.C. 252 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 32].

Binkley and Binkley v. Bajcura et al. (1980), 6 Man.R.(2d) 109; 117 D.L.R.(3d) 580 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 32].

Gaul v. Pitts Insurance Co. (1977), 27 N.S.R.(2d) 234; 41 A.P.R. 234 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 32].

Gaul v. Canadian General Insurance Co. - see Gaul v. Pitts Insurance Co.

Gillis Construction v. Nova Scotia Power Corp. (1988), 86 N.S.R.(2d) 167; 218 A.P.R. 167 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 32].

Johnson v. United Grain Growers Ltd. (1987), 60 Sask.R. 194 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 32].

Murphy Estate v. Universal Helicopters Newfoundland Ltd. - see Garbett Estate et al. v. Universal Helicopters New­foundland Ltd. et al.

Garbett Estate et al. v. Universal Helicop­ters Newfoundland Ltd. et al. (1987), 69 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 153; 211 A.P.R. 153 (Nfld. C.A.), refd to. [para. 32].

K.M. v. H.M., [1992] 3 S.C.R. 6; 142 N.R. 321; 57 O.A.C. 321; 96 D.L.R.(4th) 289, refd to. [para. 36].

Statutes Noticed:

Rules of Court (N.B.), rule 1.03(2) [para. 31]; rule 3.02 [para. 7].

Counsel:

Pierre T. Tremblay, Q.C., for the appel­lants;

Howard A. Spalding and James Michael Wirvin, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on March 13, 1996, before Hoyt, C.J.N.B., Rice and Bastarache, JJ.A., of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal. The decision of the court was delivered on April 18, 1996, including the following opinions:

Hoyt, C.J.N.B. (Rice, J.A., concurring) - see paragraphs 1 to 14;

Bastarache, J.A., dissenting - see para­graphs 15 to 37.