M. J. Panacci

This endorsement addresses the costs arising from a dismissed motion brought by the defendants.

The court found the defendants' conduct, including raising serious, unfounded ethical allegations against the plaintiff's counsel and subsequently abandoning a motion to remove him, constituted an abuse of process.

The court affirmed its broad inherent jurisdiction to award costs in such circumstances, including for abandoned motions.

Given the abusive and damaging nature of the allegations, the court awarded full indemnity costs to the plaintiff and their counsel.

The defendants brought a motion and the plaintiff a cross-motion in a Construction Lien Act action.

The defendants sought to adjourn the trial, challenge the authenticity of the Claim for Lien, amend their Statement of Defence, and have witnesses provide evidence by affidavit, while also making serious, unsubstantiated allegations of misconduct and ethical breaches against the plaintiff's current and former counsel.

The court dismissed the defendants' motion in its entirety, noting their failure to comply with court orders and the lack of evidence for their serious allegations.

The issue of removing plaintiff's counsel was abandoned with prejudice.

The plaintiff's cross-motion was not dealt with as the primary issues were resolved.

The trial was set peremptorily for May 2021.

Costs were reserved for written submissions.

The defendants brought an urgent motion to discharge a certificate of pending litigation (CPL) that the plaintiff had obtained without notice.

The central issue was whether the plaintiff failed to disclose a "No Registration" clause (NRC) in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale (APS) as a material fact.

The court found that the NRC was not material because the vendor had terminated the APS prior to the CPL motion.

Furthermore, the NRC did not explicitly prohibit CPL registration.

Applying the Dhunna factors, the court determined that justice favored maintaining the CPL, given the uniqueness of the land, the plaintiff's intent to reside there, and the inadequacy of damages as a remedy.

The defendants' motion to discharge the CPL was dismissed, and costs were awarded to the plaintiff.

The plaintiff, Abdul Nabi, sought to register a certificate of pending litigation (CPL) against a property legally owned by the defendant, Amar Qadeer, claiming beneficial ownership under an oral trust agreement.

The court found the plaintiff's evidence inconsistent and lacking documentary proof to establish a plausible claim to an interest in land, particularly in light of the Statute of Frauds.

The motion was dismissed as the plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue and the equities favored the defendant, who had occupied the property as his family home since 2012.