Little Island Fisheries Ltd. v. Royal Harbour Seafoods Inc.

Little Island Fisheries Ltd. v. Royal Harbour Seafoods Inc.

The lis pendens was vacated because Royal Harbour did not pursue proprietary relief affecting title (no specific performance or declaration of interest), failed to demonstrate any physical improvement to or traceable proceeds in the moving party's land or fixtures, and its allegations of misappropriated knowledge arose under contracts providing a juristic reason for any enrichment; therefore a constructive or resulting trust over the land could not be legally established and damages are an adequate remedy.

Citation
2009 NSSC 300
Parties
Plaintiffs/moving Party: Little Island Fisheries Limited and related companies (Little Island Group); Defendants/respondents: Royal Harbour Seafoods Inc., Royal Harbour Seafoods LP, Royal Harbour Seafoods General Partner Inc., Joel Comeau, Howard d'Entremont; Third Parties: Derek d’Entremont, Michael d’Entremont, Arnold d’Entremont, Roseanne Fiorello, Gilbert d’Entremont, Nova’s Finest Fisheries Inc., Charlesville Fisheries Ltd., Inshore Fisheries Limited
Court
Supreme Court of Nova Scotia
Jurisdiction
Canada
Judgment Date
2 November 2009
Procedural Posture
Civil Dispute Over Contracts and Proprietary Claims / Motion to Vacate Lis Pendens (interlocutory)
Outcome
Lis pendens vacated
Legal Topics
Lis Pendens, Constructive Trust, Resulting Trust, Unjust Enrichment, Specific Performance, Injunction
Source Language
English
Property Law Equity Contract Law Commercial Law Lis Pendens Constructive Trust Resulting Trust Unjust Enrichment +2 more

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Parties

Little Island Fisheries Limited and related companies (Little Island Group)

Plaintiffs/moving Party

Royal Harbour Seafoods Inc., Royal Harbour Seafoods LP, Royal Harbour Seafoods General Partner Inc., Joel Comeau, Howard d'Entremont

Defendants/respondents

Derek d’Entremont, Michael d’Entremont, Arnold d’Entremont, Roseanne Fiorello, Gilbert d’Entremont, Nova’s Finest Fisheries Inc., Charlesville Fisheries Ltd., Inshore Fisheries Limited

Third Parties

Procedural Posture

Civil Dispute Over Contracts and Proprietary Claims / Motion to Vacate Lis Pendens (interlocutory)

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether the respondent claims any proprietary right or interest in the moving party's land sufficient to support a lis pendens
  2. 2 If a proprietary claim is pleaded, whether that claim has any real prospect of success or is certain to fail
  3. 3 Whether equities require vacatur of the lis pendens even if a triable issue exists

Ratio Decidendi

The lis pendens was vacated because Royal Harbour did not pursue proprietary relief affecting title (no specific performance or declaration of interest), failed to demonstrate any physical improvement to or traceable proceeds in the moving party's land or fixtures, and its allegations of misappropriated knowledge arose under contracts providing a juristic reason for any enrichment; therefore a constructive or resulting trust over the land could not be legally established and damages are an adequate remedy.

Court Disposition

Lis pendens vacated

Orders

  • Certificate of lis pendens recorded August 6, 2009 against the Moving Party's property is vacated/discharged
  • Costs of this motion to be in the cause