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Daoust Vukovich is pleased to announce recognition of seven lawyers selected in the 2024 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, highlighting their expertise and leadership in the Commercial Leasing...
Landlords often require that their tenants provide some form of security to backstop their obligations under a commercial lease. While security deposits and advanced rent are commonly used, a tenant’s secured creditors and/or a trustee in bankruptcy may be able to scoop these funds out of the landlord’s hands. Our March 2016 News ReLease – “Security Deposit Insecurity” discussed potential pitfalls and suggested that landlords might prefer to rely on third party assurances, such as guarantees, indemnities and letters of credit (all of which should be able to withstand the bankruptcy of the tenant). This News ReLease elaborates on letters of credit. Our next News ReLease will address some qualifications on the landlord’s right to draw on a letter of credit, including: use of the funds to remedy the breach, overcompensation concerns, mitigation of damages, restoration of the letter of credit to its original amount, and more.
When dealing with limitation periods, once it is determined whether the 2-year or 6-year period applies, it’s critical that the parties turn their mind to the question of: “starting when?”.
The 1971 landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision in Highway Properties Ltd. v. Kelly, Douglas and Co. Ltd., transformed the commercial leasing landscape by adding a fourth option of relief provided to landlords. Prior to this, landlords had three options available: do nothing and demand payment when due, terminate the tenancy and elect to pursue a claim for arrears, or re-enter the premises and re-let on the tenant's behalf. In this decision, a fourth option was introduced, affording landlords the option to terminate the lease and pursue a claim for both arrears and damages. The decision affirms that commercial leases, similar to a contract, ought to be recognized and treated as such, which affords landlords the full remedies under both contract and conveyance laws. However, a recent claim was brought before the courts, where a tenant challenged the decision in Highway Properties, requesting the previous decision be overturned.
On June 27, 2023, the Bureau released the Competition Bureau Retail Grocery Market Study Report aptly named “Canada Needs More Grocery Competition”. This report contained recommendations to the government, including that the Tribunal take measures to limit exclusive use covenants (referred to in the Bureau’s report as “property controls”) in the grocery industry.
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