On March 19, 2020, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice suspended the eviction of residents from their homes, pursuant to eviction orders issued by the Landlord and Tenant Board or writs of possession, during the COVID-19 pandemic, unless ordered otherwise in an urgent motion. On the same day, the Landlord and Tenant Board suspended all hearings related to eviction applications and suspended the issuance of eviction orders, unless the matter related to an urgent issue such as an illegal act or a serious safety threat. Urgent Eviction Order or Urgent Enforcement? 1. If the landlord requires an urgent eviction order, then the landlord should proceed to file an urgent application with the Landlord and Tenant Board. 2. If the landlord already has an eviction order (or writ of possession) and requires urgent enforcement, then an urgent motion should be made to the Superior Court of Justice under Rule 60.17 of … Read More
Toronto Lawyers for COVID-19 / Coronavirus Urgent Legal Services
See our information and resources regarding legal services during COVID-19 through these links to the Gilbertson Davis LLP website: Arbitration During the Pandemic Remote Arbitration Hearings – Emerging Protocols Arbitration & Court Closure Contract Arbitrator Event Cancellation Arbitrator Contract Termination Arbitrator Moving Litigation to Arbitration | Arbitration Options Business and COVID-19 Ontario Allows More Businesses To Reopen Soon Ontario to Permit Some Businesses to Reopen on May 4 Small Business Relief Resources Ontario Extends Mandatory Closure of Non-Essential Businesses Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program Construction and COVID-19 Are Closing Dates Extended Due to Construction Sites Closing? Urgent Hearings for Real Estate Closings Contracts and COVID-19 Pandemic Closures: Considerations For Commercial Tenants And Landlords How to Schedule an Urgent Civil or Commercial List Hearing Comments on Frustration and Force Majeure Clauses in The Huffington Post Legal Consequences on Commercial Contracts Distribution Agreements Manufacturing Contracts Shopping Mall Lease Deferral Contract Disputes … Read More
COVID-19 | Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program
On April 16, 2020, the Federal government announced the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program (CECRA) but could not provide further details because discussions with the provinces and territories were required for the administration and implementation of the program. Today, the Ontario government announced the Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program (OCECRA) and provided further details on the eligibility requirements and the terms of the forgiveable loan. The OCECRA is expected to be operational in mid-May 2020, and will provide commercial rent relief for the months of April and May (retroactively) and June 2020. We summarize the OCECRA as follows: Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program – Updated May 7, 2020 What is the purpose of OCECRA? To provide relief to landlords and small business tenants affected by COVID-19 by providing forgivable loans to landlords to cover 50% of the gross monthly rent for April, May and June 2020. Who … Read More
Ontario Allows Virtual Witnessing of Wills and Powers of Attorney During COVID-19 Pandemic
Since April 7, 2020, the Ontario government has permitted the virtual witnessing of Wills and Powers of Attorney pursuant to an Emergency Order made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. In Ontario, a valid Will or Power of Attorney must be signed in the presence of two witnesses under the Succession Law Reform Act and the Substitute Decisions Act, 1992, respectively. (Note – holograph wills that are wholly handwritten by the testator and signed by the testator are exempt from the statutory witness requirement). Wills and Estates lawyers were experiencing difficulties complying with the statutory witness requirements due to physical distancing rules and the increased risk from COVID-19 to the elderly and persons with certain medical conditions. Accordingly, the Emergency Order was welcome relief to Wills and Estates lawyers and their clients. Under the Emergency Order, a Will or Power of Attorney can be signed in the presence … Read More
Parenting Issues During COVID-19 / Coronavirus
In these uncertain and unprecedented times, parenting issues have been by far the most prevalent and pressing concerns in family law. Restrictions on international travel, limitations on domestic travel, the closure of supervised access centres and public health directives have all disrupted parenting orders and agreements. Parents are placed in a difficult position of having to continue to abide by their current access arrangements, whether that be a court order, formal written agreement or informal agreement, while ensuring the health and safety of their children, and family, and following public health directives. While the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice have suspended regular operations, they are still hearing urgent family law matters. There has been a slew of decisions released in the past few weeks which specifically deal with custody and access issues during the pandemic. Over seventy percent of urgent matters the court dealt … Read More
Ontario Extends Mandatory Closure of Non-Essential Businesses
On April 23, 2020, the Ontario government announced that all emergency orders under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, including the mandatory closure of non-essential businesses, have been extended until May 19, 2020 (Updated: May 7, 2020). A list of the extended orders and the current revocation dates are found here. Although the closure of non-essential businesses is necessary to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, many small businesses have been closed for over a month and will be closed for at least another two week period with no or very minimal revenue coming in. A survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) indicated that 40% of Canadian small businesses were worried the pandemic would force them to permanently close. These small businesses, which form the backbone of the economy, are unlikely to survive without further assistance from the federal, provincial and municipal governments and/or cooperation from landlords, … Read More
Ontario Courts Suspend Civil Jury Trials Due to COVID-19 / Coronavirus
On April 20, 2020, the Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued a Notice to the Profession, Public, Accused Persons and the Media Regarding the Suspension of Criminal and Civil Jury Trials to advise that criminal and civil jury trials will be suspended until September, 2020, at the earliest. Since March 17, 2020, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has suspended all regular operations, including adjourning all civil matters except: (a) civil motions and applications deemed to be urgent and time-sensitive by the court; (b) outstanding warrants issued in relation to a Small Claims Court or Superior Court civil proceeding; and (c) the following expanded civil matters, subject to each region’s notice and effective April 6, 2020: (i) pre-trial conferences that were cancelled between March 16 and May 31, 2020, and to be held for the purpose of settlement; (ii) Rule 7 motions or applications for approval … Read More
Corporate Governance Considerations During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Corporate governance issues are top of mind for directors and businesses who are attempting to navigate through the Covid-19 Pandemic related closures and emergency measures. Boards of Directors still need to operate and make decisions in the best interests of the corporation, and this can involve tough decisions, particularly where there is little guidance as to how measures to lift Covid-19 related restrictions will play out. By example, while it may be in the best interest of investors and shareholders that the Board act to lay off employees in the short term, the impact of staff shortages when Covid-19 restrictions are lifted may pose it’s own challenges. Many businesses must consider how to hold governance meetings during Covid-19 times. On March 30, 2020, Ontario passed an Order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA), (Ontario Regulation 107/20) entitled “Meetings for Corporations” making temporary changes to the Business Corporations … Read More
COVID-19 / Coronavirus: Rent Relief for Small Businesses Is Coming
On April 16, 2020, the Federal government announced the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program to assist small businesses with their rent payments during the COVID-19 crisis. The CECRA program will provide loans and/or forgiveable loans to commercial property owners who will be expected to pass on the benefit to small businesses by lowering or forgoing rent for April (retroactively), May and June 2020. Further details of the program are expected to be released soon and the program will be administered by the provincial and territorial governments. Although the Ontario Superior Court of Justice had issued an Order on March 19, 2020 suspending the eviction of residents from their homes (unless ordered otherwise under an urgent motion), there was no similar protection against evictions for commercial tenants which included many small business owners. Commercial rent payments are typically the second largest operating expense for most small businesses after payroll … Read More
Small Business Relief Resources During COVID-19 / Coronavirus
On April 14, 2020, the Ontario legislature passed a bill during an emergency sitting to extend the state of emergency to May 12, 2020. The state of emergency in Ontario was initially declared on March 17, 2020, and subsequently extended to April 14, 2020. Under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, any further extensions must be passed by the legislature, and can only be extended for additional periods of no more than 28 days. On May 12, 2020, the state of emergency was extended to June 2, 2020 (Updated: May 12, 2020). Although the extension of the state of emergency does not automatically apply to individual orders such as the closure of non-essential businesses, it is expected the mandatory closure of non-essential businesses will be extended as well to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, many small businesses (deemed essential) have voluntarily closed due to safety concerns for their … Read More
Toronto COVID-19 / Coronavirus Lawyers and Legal Services
COVID-19 Practice Group In the rapidly evolving pandemic, the lawyers at Gilbertson Davis LLP have promptly published blogs and other online content concerning the effects of COVID-19 on matters within our respective practice areas. COVID-19 Litigation and Arbitration Resources These are conveniently indexed and accessible through our COVID-19 webpage. If your concern relates to: Contracts and COVID-19 Event Cancellation Due to COVID-19 Condo Law and COVID-19 Family Law and COVID-19 Real Estate | Commercial Leasing and COVID-19 Construction and COVID-19 Wills and Estates – Coronavirus COVID-19 and the Courts Arbitration During the Pandemic you may find Coronavirus / Covid-19 Litigation & Arbitration Resource here. Contact Gilbertson Davis LLP If you have enquiries or require legal advice or representation concerning events arising from the COVID-19 / Coronavirus pandemic, please contact the Intake Coordinator at Gilbertson Davis LLP at 416 979 2020, ext 223, by email info@gilbertsondavis.com, or though the Contact Us … Read More
COVID-19 / Coronavirus: Are Closing Dates Extended Due to Construction Sites Closing?
On April 3, 2020, the Ontario government ordered that further non-essential businesses must close by April 4, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. including closing down most construction sites in order to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of essential businesses was reduced from 74 to 44. The revised list of essential businesses can be found here. Construction sites related to the healthcare sector, provincial infrastructure such as transit, and projects related to the production of ventilators and other products directly related to fighting COVID-19 were permitted to remain open. Residential construction sites were permitted to remain open where: (i) a footing permit has been granted for single family, semi-detached and townhouses; (ii) an above grade structural permit has been granted for condominiums; or (iii) the work was related to renovations and started before April 4, 2020. Given the expansive definition of essential residential construction sites, it appears that … Read More
The Impact of Covid-19 / Coronavirus On Franchise Disclosure Obligations
The Covid-19 / Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted social and economic life globally and here in Ontario. It is apparent that the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting closures and physical distancing measures implemented by various governments will have a considerable impact on investment decisions in the franchise context. In this blog we consider the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on current and shortly anticipated franchise disclosure obligations. The Crucial Role Of Franchise Disclosure The franchise disclosure obligations which arise during a franchise purchase or franchise renewal process are critical for both franchisees and franchisors. It provides crucial information to a franchisee so that they can make a fully informed investment decision, and sets the groundwork and expectations on behalf of the franchisor to ensure the relationship is off to a good start and lasts to the mutual benefit of both parties. Updating Franchise Disclosure With Covid-19 / Coronavirus Impact Considerations Franchisors who are … Read More
COVID-19 / Coronavirus: Urgent Hearings for Enforcement Matters
Further to my blog posts in respect to scheduling urgent hearings in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for commercial lease matters and real estate closings, an urgent hearing was recently granted in an enforcement matter involving a contempt hearing against a judgment debtor. In Morris v. Onca, 2020 ONSC 1805, the judgment creditor had obtained default judgment in November 2019 for repayment of funds obtained by fraud. The judgment creditor took steps to enforce the default judgment, including conducting examinations in aid of execution, but the process was frustrated by the judgment debtor’s refusal to answer relevant questions and his failure to comply with court orders to produce documents. The judgment debtor did not dispute the adjudged amount was owed to the judgment creditor but provided numerous excuses for his failure to pay the default judgment and to produce documents in accordance with court orders. The judgment creditor had previously … Read More
COVID-19 / Coronavirus: What Constitutes an Urgent Family Law Matter?
On March 15, 2020, the Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released a Notice to the Profession advising that all scheduled family law hearings were adjourned until further notice. Similarly, as of March 20, 2020 the Ontario Court of Justice adjourned all scheduled family law hearings until May 29, 2020. Both courts continue to hear urgent and emergency family law matters. According to the March 15, 2020 Notice to the Profession, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice will only hear urgent family law matters such as: requests for urgent relief relating to the safety of a child or parent (e.g., a restraining order, other restrictions on contact between the parties or a party and a child, or exclusive possession of the home); urgent issues that must be determined relating to the well-being of a child including essential medical decisions or issues relating to the wrongful removal or retention of … Read More
COVID-19 / Coronavirus: Urgent Hearings for Real Estate Closings
Following on my blog on scheduling urgent hearings for commercial lease matters, this blog is on the scheduling of an urgent hearing involving a real estate closing. In Ali v. Tariq, 2020 ONSC 1695, the applicant had sold her property and discovered that a writ of execution had been registered against her property during routine searches performed for the closing. Apparently, her former father-in-law had obtained default judgment against her in small claims court and obtained a writ of execution at around the time of her divorce. A writ of execution filed in the county or district in which the property is located will effectively prevent the sale of the property until the judgment is set aside or fully satisfied. After the applicant’s offer to pay the sale proceeds into her lawyer’s trust account was rejected, the applicant sought an urgent hearing before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice under … Read More
Remote Arbitration Hearings | Remote Court Hearings – Emerging Protocols for COVID-19 / Coronavirus
“It is the duty of all the parties to seek to co-operate to ensure that a remote hearing is possible.” ~ Justice Teare (Commercial Court, a Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court of Justice, England and Wales) Protocols on the use of video conferencing in arbitration and court hearings are emerging: Remote Arbitration Hearings The Seoul Protocol on Video Conferencing in International Arbitration was drafted and discussed by a panel of arbitration practitioners in 2018, consisting of Kap-You (Kevin) Kim as moderator (Partner, Peter & Kim), Yu-Jin Tay (Partner, Mayer Brown), Ing Loong Yang (Partner, Latham & Watkins LLP) and SeungMin Lee (Partner, Shin & Kim), and has been revised to reflect comments from the Seoul International Dispute Resolution Center (released March 18, 2020). Remote Court Hearings The Ontario Superior Court of Justice Practice Directions and Notices regarding COVID-19 (updated March 31, 2020) has published the Notice Regarding Videoconference … Read More