Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (“MPAC”) Region 3 v. Hamzo Properties Inc., 2019 CanLII 22881

Assessment Review Board

Commission de révision de l’évaluation foncière

ISSUE DATE: March 21, 2019

FILE NO.: DM 158842

Moving Party(ies): Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (“MPAC”) Region 3

Respondent(s): Hamzo Properties Inc.

Respondent(s): City of Ottawa

Property Location(s): 341 Gloucester Street

Municipality(ies): City of Ottawa

Roll Number(s): 0614-063-001-05000-0000

Appeal Number(s): 3206269 and 3289563

Taxation Year(s): 2017 and 2018

Hearing Event No.: 710787

Legislative Authority: Rule 24(e) of the Assessment Review Board Rules of Practice and Procedure

Heard: February 27, 2019 by written submission

APPEARANCES:

Parties

Representative

MPAC

Makael Nur

Hamzo Properties Inc.

No one appeared

City of Ottawa

No one appeared

DISPOSITION OF THE BOARD DELIVERED BY SCOTT McANSH

1MPAC seeks to have these appeals dismissed because Hamzo Properties Inc. (“Hamzo”) did not serve a Statement of Issues on or before the date specified by the Assessment Review Board (the “Board”). Hamzo did not file any material in this motion, despite being properly served. The City of Ottawa also failed to provide any submissions.

2For the reasons that follow, the appeals are dismissed for non-compliance with the Board’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (the “Rules”).

Background

3Hamzo is the owner of the multi-residential property at 341 Gloucester Street in the City of Ottawa. It filed an appeal of the 2017 taxation year assessments of the property with the Board. An appeal was deemed for the 2018 taxation year because the 2017 appeal has not yet been resolved.

4The Board assigned a commencement date of February 15, 2018 to the appeals pursuant to Rule 33. MPAC sent its initial disclosure to the Taxpayers on March 6, 2018, in compliance with the schedule of events set by the Rules. The next major step in the schedule of events was for Hamzo to provide MPAC and the City of Ottawa with their Statement of Issues on or before July 12, 2018. They did not do so.

5MPAC requested Hamzo’s Statement of Issues on December 4, 2018. Hamzo never responded to that request. This motion to dismiss was set down on January 31, 2019.

Dismissal

6MPAC argues that Hamzo has not complied with the Rules, and that the appeals should be dismissed on that basis. I find that Hamzo is in breach of the Rules in a clear, egregious, and unilateral way. I therefore dismiss the appeals.

7Rule 24(e) permits dismissal without a hearing if “the appellant has not complied with statutory requirements or these Rules.” This Board held, in Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, Region No. 9 v 234900 Ontario Ltd., 2018 CanLII 248 (ON ARB), 2017 CanLII 74719 (ON ARB) at paragraph 8, that dismissal “is an extreme remedy and should only be granted in the clearest of cases.” The Board stated, in Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, Region No 7 v Cherry, 2018 CanLII 60392 (ON ARB), at paragraph 10, that the “clearest of cases are those where there are willful breaches of the Board’s orders or Rules that are entirely attributable to the taxpayer.”

8A party’s failure to provide a Statement of Issues when required can be a valid basis for dismissal, see Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, Region 19 v Wentworth Property Management Inc., 2018 CanLII 89428 (ON ARB). Hamzo’s failure to serve a Statement of Issues on the other parties by July 12, 2018 was a breach that is entirely attributable to Hamzo. It has not cured that breach. However, that is not enough to ground a dismissal.

9The “prejudice to each party will always be the primary consideration on a dismissal motion,” Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, Region 14 v Upper Keele Inc., 2018 CanLII 126632 (ON ARB), 2018 CanLII 248 (ON ARB) at paragraph 10. MPAC argues that it is prejudiced by Hamzo’s breach of the Rules in how much more difficult it is to meet its other obligations when appellants fail to comply. MPAC argues that the prejudice cannot be cured by an award of costs.

10MPAC provided evidence of prejudice. It had to take additional procedural steps when Hamzo did not provide their Statement of Issues. I accept MPAC’s claim that a failure of an appellant to provide a timely Statement of Issues makes its overall case management more difficult. It cannot provide a response when there is no Statement of Issues, and must take some steps to see if a Statement of Issues is likely. I accept that there is prejudice to MPAC flowing from Hamzo’s failure to provide a Statement of Issues.

CONCLUSION

11MPAC’s motion to dismiss Hamzo’s appeals is granted. It is in breach of the Rules and that breach is entirely attributable to Hamzo. MPAC is prejudiced by Hamzo’s breach. I therefore dismiss the 2017 and 2018 appeals filed by Hamzo.