Eviction during COVID-19 (LTB)

Morguard Corporation v Corredor, 2020 ONSC 2166 (CanLII)

[2] The landlord brought a proceeding before the Landlord and Tenant Board seeking to evict the tenants. The landlord alleged that eviction was required because the tenant Nicolas C. Lozada Corredor committed a sexual assault in the building complex.

[6] In response to the emergency declared by the government of Ontario in relation to the global COVID-19 pandemic, on March 19, 2020, the Attorney General brought a legal proceeding before Chief Justice Geoffrey B. Morawetz, the Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. In that proceeding, the Attorney General sought an order “suspending the execution of all writs of possession to evict residents from their homes during the 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic”.

[10] Under s. 85 of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, an eviction order is enforced in the same manner as a writ of possession under the Rules of Civil Procedure, RRO 1990, Reg 194. By making an eviction order, the board has essentially given leave for the issuance of a writ of possession under Rule 60.10(1).

[11] However, the Chief Justice’s order has suspended the enforcement of all writs of possession related to residential evictions. The order creates a question as to whether and how the board’s order can or might be enforced. Rule 60.17 provides that “[w]here a question arises in relation to the measures to be taken by a sheriff in carrying out an order” an interested party may make a motion for directions to a judge.

[12] In my respectful view, the order for leave to evict a tenant despite the moratorium imposed by the Chef Justice’s order is properly a motion for directions under Rule 60.17 as supported by Rules 60.03, 60.10, and s. 85 of the statute.

Analysis

[13] Under the Chief Justice order, before a landlord may seek directions to enforce an eviction, it must first obtain leave of the court to make that request “pursuant to the courts procedures for urgent motions”.

[14] As delegate of the Regional Senior Justice in Toronto, I am required to consider whether the proposed motion for directions to lift the suspension meets the urgency requirements of the Notice to the Profession as set out above. In my view it does.

[15] The question of whether the tenant(s) should continue to reside in the building in face of the findings of the board quoted above is both time-sensitive and one that is necessary and appropriate for the court to hear urgently. Important interests of vulnerable third parties may be at stake. I am not today deciding whether the eviction may proceed despite the moratorium ordered by the Chief Justice. The legal basis for an order lifting the moratorium has not yet been briefed or argued by counsel for the parties. However, to allow for that issue to be considered, I grant leave to the landlord to bring a motion for directions on short notice.

[16] The terms set out in Schedule “A” apply to the hearing of this motion for directions.

[17] The landlord shall file an application record and factum in accordance with the Notice to the Profession as soon as possible and by no later than 3:00 p.m. on April 10, 2020. Service shall be made by leaving a copy of the materials in the front door mail-slot of the tenants’ apartment unit in addition to email (if the landlord has an email address for the tenants).

[18] The landlord’s counsel shall serve a copy of this endorsement on the tenant as well.

[19] The matter will be heard by the Court on April 15, 2020.