Michael W. Bader

The applicants sought equitable relief and rectification of a second mortgage registered against a property.

Due to a Land Titles office error during conversion from the Registry System, the property owner's name was incorrectly recorded on three of four property identification numbers (PINs), leading to the applicants' mortgage being registered against only one PIN.

The Minister of National Revenue (NR), a subsequent lienholder, argued that the applicants should pursue other remedies like suing their lawyer or claiming against the Land Titles Assurance Fund.

The court found a clear common intention for the mortgage to cover the entire property and granted the equitable relief and rectification, allowing the applicants to enforce their mortgage against all four parcels, thereby maintaining their priority over NR's later-registered liens.

Following a re-hearing of a class action certification motion relating to the ‘Sixties Scoop’, the court addressed costs after granting certification and dismissing the federal Crown’s motion to strike.

The plaintiffs sought substantial indemnity costs, but the court held that such costs require reprehensible or outrageous conduct and were not justified.

Applying a partial indemnity scale and reviewing historical certification-motion cost awards, the court found the plaintiffs’ request modest given the complexity of the litigation and the work spanning both the original and rehearing motions.

The court fixed costs at an all-inclusive amount reflecting fairness to the losing party and proportionality to comparable certification proceedings.