Canada Case Law

O’Brien v. Grand Forks (City)

Court

Supreme Court of British Columbia

Accepted the expert appraisal value of $64,000 (and the 2021 expropriation appraisal of $62,500/advance payment $62,511.51), rejected plaintiff's unsupported $180,000 valuation and claim for replacement; awarded disturbance damages limited by s.34: six months rent at $342/month ($2,052) and proven moving expenses of $392.05, plus interest from date of expropriation; rejected claim for owner's time and litigation costs; plaintiff not awarded costs.

Source excerpt

• Compensation
• Disturbance damages
• Market value
• Advance payment
• Relocation costs

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British Columbia (Assessor of Area #14 – Surrey/White Rock) v. Fraser Park Realty Ltd.

Court

Supreme Court of British Columbia

The court held that private encumbrances running with land may affect market value under the Assessment Act and upheld the Board’s decision.

• Property assessment
• Encumbrances and restrictive covenants
• Fee simple interest
• Market value
• Standard of review (correctness)
• Property-assessment

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Telus Communications (B.C.) Inc. v. Assessor of Area #09 – Vancouver Sea to Sky Region

Court

British Columbia Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal dismissed Telus’s appeal, holding the Board reasonably treated Cable Vault relocation costs as value to owner, not market value.

• Highest and best use
• Market value
• Value to owner
• Replacement cost valuation
• Standard of review (reasonableness)
• Property-taxation

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Tanex Industries Ltd. v. Greater Vancouver Water District

Court

Supreme Court of British Columbia

Court holds remediation costs are not barred as a matter of law from expropriation compensation; deduction depends on evidence of market value and highest and best use.

• Market value
• Remediation costs
• Advance payment deduction
• Expropriation act interpretation
• Environmental management act interaction
• Expropriation

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Tekamar Mortgage Fund Ltd. v. Hegel

Court

Supreme Court of British Columbia

The court upheld a foreclosure sale approval, finding the property had been properly marketed and the $1.1 million price reflected market value.

• Sale approval
• Market value
• Marketing
• Appraisal
• Subdivision potential
• Fresh evidence

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Nye-Islam v. West Vancouver (District)

Court

Supreme Court of British Columbia

The court held the expropriated waterfront property was worth $5.3 million, finding multi-residential rezoning was not proven as a probable highest and best use.

• Market value
• Highest and best use
• Rezoning probability
• Compensation under expropriation act
• Expropriation-law
• Market-value

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Nguyen v. British Columbia (Transportation and Infrastructure)

Court

Supreme Court of British Columbia

The court rejected the plaintiff’s claim for additional expropriation compensation, finding no proven loss in market value beyond the advance payment and awarding costs to the defendant.

• Highest and best use
• Injurious affection
• Market value
• Partial taking
• Hindsight evidence
• Adverse inference

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Victory Motors (Abbotsford) Ltd v. Assessor of Area No. 15 – Fraser Valley

Court

British Columbia Court of Appeal

La Cour d’appel a rétabli l’évaluation d’un bien contaminé, jugeant raisonnable l’approche de la commission fondée sur une utilisation optimale évitant la remise en état.

• Valuation of contaminated property
• Brownfields
• Highest and best use
• Standard of review
• Intervenor procedure
• Stated case procedure

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Home Depot Holdings Inc. v. British Columbia (Assessor of Area #10 – North Fraser Region)

Court

British Columbia Court of Appeal

La Cour d’appel a refusé l’autorisation d’interjeter appel dans deux affaires d’évaluation foncière visant des magasins « big box », jugeant que le choix de la méthode d’évaluation relevait du fait.

• Valuation methods
• Income approach
• Cost approach
• Market value
• Standard of review
• Stated case

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Assessor of Area #01 - Capital v. Nav Canada

Court

British Columbia Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal held that unique, restricted-use properties may be valued using depreciated replacement cost, with the owner treated as an objective purchaser.

• Property assessment
• Replacement cost valuation
• Market value
• Special purpose property
• Assessment act s.19
• Property-assessment

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