Youyi Group Holdings (Canada) Ltd. et al. v. Brentwood Lanes Canada Ltd. et al., 2014 BCCA 388

• Judge: Newbury, Saunders and Bennett, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
• Case Date: September 23, 2014
• Jurisdiction: British Columbia
• Citations: 2014 BCCA 388;(2014), 362 B.C.A.C. 138 (CA)

Youyi Group v. Brentwood Lanes (2014), 362 B.C.A.C. 138 (CA);

    622 W.A.C. 138

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2014] B.C.A.C. TBEd. OC.023

Youyi Group Holdings (Canada) Ltd. and DHI Holdings Inc. (appellants/plaintiffs) v. Brentwood Lanes Canada Ltd. and Maple Ridge Lanes (1981) Ltd. (respondents/defendants)

(CA041492; 2014 BCCA 388)

Indexed As: Youyi Group Holdings (Canada) Ltd. et al. v. Brentwood Lanes Canada Ltd. et al.

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Newbury, Saunders and Bennett, JJ.A.

October 10, 2014.

Summary:

In September 2011, the parties concluded an agreement for the purchase and sale of a 4.5 acre parcel of land that was zoned for industrial use. The sale price was $28.8 million. Subsequently, the vendor learned that there was a possibility that the property could be rezoned for high-density residential development. In January 2012, the vendor obtained an appraisal that showed a value of $38 million for the property. The vendor notified the purchaser that the vendor would not complete the contract. The purchaser commenced an action, seeking, inter alia, specific performance of the contract. The purchaser filed a certificate of pending litigation against the title to the property. The vendor applied under s. 256(1) of the Land Title Act for cancellation of the certificate.

The British Columbia Supreme Court allowed the application, subject to the vendor posting security of $1.5 million. The purchaser appealed.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, reinstating the certificate.

Real Property - Topic 7855

Title, registration of instruments, etc. - Lis pendens or certificate of pending litigation - Vacating of - Grounds - See paragraphs 26 to 39 and 53 to 60.

Sale of Land - Topic 8551

Remedies of purchaser - Specific performance - When available - See paragraphs 40 to 52.

Sale of Land - Topic 8555

Remedies of purchaser - Specific performance - Conditions precedent - See paragraphs 40 to 52.

Cases Noticed:

Enigma Investments Corp. et al. v. Henderson Land Holdings (Canada) Ltd. et al., [2007] B.C.T.C. Uned. F13; 2007 BCSC 1379, refd to. [para. 28].

Liquor Barn Income Fund et al. v. Mather et al., [2009] B.C.T.C. Uned. 1092; 2009 BCSC 1092, refd to. [para. 28].

Lam et al. v. Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, [2004] B.C.T.C. 1119; 2004 BCSC 1119, refd to. [para. 29].

Soo v. Law, [2009] B.C.T.C. Uned. 1041; 2009 BCSC 1041, refd to. [para. 29].

Boale, Wood & Co. et al. v. Chatur Estate et al., [2013] B.C.T.C. Uned. 1915; 2013 BCSC 1915, refd to. [para. 29].

Samji v. Chatur - see Boale, Wood & Co. et al. v. Chatur Estate et al.

Towne v. Brighouse (1898), 6 B.C.R. 225, refd to. [para. 31].

Mercedes-Benz of Canada Ltd. v. SAS Properties Ltd. (1974), 10 B.C.L.R. 19 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 32].

Kamil v. Transtide Industries Ltd. (1980), 23 B.C.L.R. 344 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 33].

Aviawest Resorts Inc. et al. v. Memory Lane Developments Inc. et al., [2004] B.C.T.C. 999; 2004 BCSC 999, refd to. [para. 33].

United Gulf Developments Ltd. et al. v. Iskandar et al. (2004), 222 N.S.R.(2d) 137; 701 A.P.R. 137; 2004 NSCA 35, refd to. [para. 35].

1244034 Alberta Ltd. v. Walton International Group Inc. et al. (2007), 422 A.R. 189; 415 W.A.C. 189; 2007 ABCA 372, refd to. [para. 36].

Semelhago v. Paramadevan, [1996] 2 S.C.R. 415; 197 N.R. 379; 91 O.A.C. 379, refd to. [para. 36].

Southcott Estates Inc. v. Toronto Catholic District School Board (2012), 435 N.R. 41; 296 O.A.C. 41; 2012 SCC 51, refd to. [para. 39].

Earthworks 2000 Design Group Inc. et al. v. Spectacular Investments (Canada) Inc. et al., [2005] B.C.T.C. 22; 2005 BCSC 22, dist. [para. 42].

Trinden Enterprises Ltd. v. Ramsay et al., [2004] B.C.T.C. Uned. 99; 2004 BCSC 226, dist. [para. 42].

0771252 B.C. Ltd. v. 0764735 B.C. Ltd., [2012] B.C.T.C. Uned. 2039; 2012 BCSC 2039, refd to. [para. 42].

Dodge (John E.) Holdings Ltd. v. 805062 Ontario Ltd., [2001] O.T.C. 803; 56 O.R.(3d) 341 (Sup. Ct.), affd. (2003), 168 O.A.C. 252; 63 O.R.(3d) 304 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused (2003), 326 N.R. 195 (S.C.C.), agreed with [para. 45].

Baud Corp., N.V. v. Brook, [1979] 1 S.C.R. 633; 23 N.R. 181; 12 A.R. 271, refd to. [para. 46].

Asamera Oil Corp. v. Sea & Oil General Corp. - see Baud Corp., N.V. v. Brooks.

Evergreen Building Ltd. v. IBI Leaseholds Ltd. (2005), 219 B.C.A.C. 165; 361 W.A.C. 165; 2005 BCCA 583, refd to. [para. 50].

Raymond v. Raymond Estate (2011), 371 Sask.R. 260; 518 W.A.C. 260; 2011 SKCA 58, refd to. [para. 56].

Statutes Noticed:

Land Title Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 250, sect. 256(1), sect. 257 [para. 27].

Authors and Works Noticed:

di Castri, Victor, The Law of Vendor and Purchaser (3rd Ed.) (Looseleaf), § 525 [para. 29].

Halsbury's Laws of England (4th Ed.), vol. 44(1), p. 801 [para. 49].

Jones, Gareth and Goodhart, William, Specific Performance (1986), p. 3-7 [para. 49].

Olsen, Richard J., Who Mourns for Specific Performance? (2013), The Advocate 851, pp. 860 [para. 51]; 861 [para. 50].

Sharpe, Robert J., Injunctions and Specific Performance (2013) (Looseleaf), § 7.50 [para. 49].

Counsel:

D.G. Cowper, Q.C., and T.M. Pontin, for the appellants;

R.B. Fraser and S. Batkin, for the respondents.

This appeal was heard at Vancouver, B.C., on September 23, 2014, by Newbury, Saunders and Bennett, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. On October 10, 2014, Newbury, J.A., delivered the following reasons for judgment for the court.