Phillips v. Riverview Truck Repair Ltd., 2007 NBCA 60

• Judge: Larlee, Robertson and Richard, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (New Brunswick)
• Case Date: June 28, 2007
• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Citations: 2007 NBCA 60;(2007), 319 N.B.R.(2d) 112 (CA)

Phillips v. Riverview Truck Repair (2007), 319 N.B.R.(2d) 112 (CA);

    319 R.N.-B.(2e) 112; 823 A.P.R. 112

MLB headnote and full text

Sommaire et texte intégral

[French language version follows English language version]

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

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Temp. Cite: [2007] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. JL.027

Renvoi temp.: [2007] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. JL.027

Riverview Truck Repair Ltd. (defendant/appellant) v. Sanford Phillips (plaintiff/respondent)

(156/06/CA; 2007 NBCA 60)

Indexed As: Phillips v. Riverview Truck Repair Ltd.

Répertorié: Phillips v. Riverview Truck Repair Ltd.

New Brunswick Court of Appeal

Larlee, Robertson and Richard, JJ.A.

July 19, 2007.

Summary:

Résumé:

The plaintiff left his truck with the corporate defendant for repairs. The defendant left the truck in its parking area while it waited for parts to arrive. The truck went missing. The plaintiff claimed damages from the defendant as a bailee for reward.

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, in a decision reported at 307 N.B.R.(2d) 89; 795 A.P.R. 89, allowed the action and granted judgment for the plaintiff. The defendant appealed.

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and dismissed the plaintiff's action.

Bailment - Topic 2014

Liability of bailee - Burden of proof - Repair or service of chattels - [See Bailment - Topic 2203 ].

Bailment - Topic 2203

Liability of bailee - Bailment for benefit of bailor and bailee - Duty of bailee for hire or reward - The plaintiff left his truck with the defendant for repairs - The defendant left the truck in its unfenced parking area while it waited for parts to arrive - The truck could not be started because of its state of disrepair - Three days later, the defendant's employees discovered that the truck was missing - The plaintiff claimed damages from the defendant as a bailee for reward - The trial judge allowed the action - Based on a finding that the defendant's mechanic, or others, could have effected the repairs necessary to enable the plaintiff's truck to be driven away, the trial judge concluded that the defendant breached its duty of care by failing to adopt adequate measures to ensure that the plaintiff's truck was not stolen - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal allowed an appeal and dismissed the plaintiff's action - The trial judge made a palpable and overriding error in speculating that the defendant's mechanics or others might have ordered the needed parts from another supplier and that the truck's engine had been repaired such that the vehicle could have been driven off rather than towed - The two premises that the trial judge employed to support his ultimate conclusion of liability were pure conjecture - The burden of proof on the defendant bailee did not embrace the obligation to establish a negative (that its employees did not steal the bailed goods) - The defendant met the standard of care.

Bailment - Topic 2209

Liability of bailee - Bailment for benefit of bailor and bailee - Bailment of chattel for repairs - [See Bailment - Topic 2203 ].

Bailment - Topic 2220

Liability of bailee - Bailment for benefit of bailor and bailee - Evidence and burden of proof on bailee - [See Bailment - Topic 2203 ].

Evidence - Topic 108

Degree, standard or burden of proof - Standard or degree of proof - Conjecture or speculation - [See Bailment - Topic 2203 ].

Evidence - Topic 200

Inferences and weight of evidence - Inferences - Whether reasonable inference or speculation - [See Bailment - Topic 2203 ].

Dépot - Cote 2014

Responsabilite du depositaire - Fardeau de la preuve - Réparation ou entretien des biens - [Voir Bailment - Topic 2014 ].

Dépôt - Cote 2203

Responsabilité du dépositaire - Dépôt en faveur du déposant et du dépositaire - Obligations du dépositaire rémunéré - [Voir Bailment - Topic 2203 ].

Dépôt - Cote 2209

Responsabilité du dépositaire - Dépôt en faveur du déposant et du dépositaire - Dépôt d'un bien pour réparations - [Voir Bailment - Topic 2209 ].

Dépôt - Cote 2220

Responsabilité du dépositaire - Dépôt en faveur du déposant et du dépositaire - Preuve - Fardeau de la preuve imposé au dépositaire - [Voir Bailment - Topic 2220 ].

Preuve - Cote 108

Degré, norme ou fardeau de la preuve - Norme ou degré de preuve - Conjecture ou spéculation - [Voir Evidence - Topic 108 ].

Preuve - Cote 200

Inférences et force probante de la preuve - Inférences - Inférence raisonnable ou pure spéculation - [Voir Evidence - Topic 200 ].

Cases Noticed:

Longley v. Mitchell Fur Co. (1983), 45 N.B.R.(2d) 78; 118 A.P.R. 78 (C.A.), appld. [para. 1].

Housen v. Nikolaisen et al., [2002] 2 S.C.R. 235; 286 N.R. 1; 219 Sask.R. 1; 272 W.A.C. 1; 2002 SCC 33, refd to. [para. 5].

H.L. v. Canada (Attorney General) et al., [2005] 1 S.C.R. 401; 333 N.R. 1; 262 Sask.R. 1; 347 W.A.C. 1; 2005 SCC 25, refd to. [para. 5].

Parlee v. McFarlane (1999), 210 N.B.R.(2d) 284; 536 A.P.R. 284 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 6].

Sabean v. Moran (1991), 117 N.B.R.(2d) 329; 295 A.P.R. 329 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 8].

Simon et al. v. MacDonald (2000), 232 N.B.R.(2d) 281; 598 A.P.R. 281 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 8].

St-Isidore Asphalte ltée v. Luminex Signs Ltd./Enseignes Luminex ltée (1996), 176 N.B.R.(2d) 135; 447 A.P.R. 135 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 9].

Counsel:

Avocats:

Charles A. LeBlond, Q.C., for the appellant:

Edward J. McGrath, For the respondent.

This appeal was heard on June 28, 2007, before Larlee, Robertson and Richard, JJ.A., of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal. The following judgment of the Court of Appeal was delivered in both official languages by Robertson, J.A., on July 19, 2007.