The scenario is a fairly common one: a contractor doesn't get paid, and then proceeds to register a lien on a project, only to later discover a mistake in the Statement of Lien. It could be a typo in the name of the Owner; or it could be a failure to properly identify the interest being liened. While such errors may seem small, they could put the entire lien claim in jeopardy.
This scenario was addressed recently by the Court of Queen's Bench in Encore Electric Inc. v Haves Holdings, 2017 ABQB 803. In that case, an electrical contractor was hired to perform certain electrical work in a Defendant tenant's leased space. When a dispute arose about alleged deficiencies, the Contractor registered two liens valued at approximately $686,000.
When the liens were registered, the box for identifying the interest in the land was left blank. This resulted in the lien being registered against the property owner's fee simple interest, rather than the Defendant tenant's leasehold interest. In light of this, the Defendant applied to have the liens struck on the basis that they were not registered against the correct interest in the lands.
In response, the Contractor argued that the landlord's interest could be liened (notwithstanding that the Contractor was hired by the Defendant tenant), since the landlord fell within the definition of "owner" under the Builders Lien Act. The Court rejected this argument. The Court relied upon the line of cases to the effect that the owner's interest will not be lienable where work is performed for a tenant unless the owner becomes significantly involved in the design and/or construction, or where the landlord obtains a "direct benefit" from the work.
The Contractor also argued the error on the face of the lien could be cured by the Court. Section 37 of the Builders Lien Act allows a flawed lien to survive where there is "substantial compliance" and nobody is prejudiced by the failure. The Contractor argued that this was a situation where no prejudice was suffered as a result of the mistake, as the Defendant tenant had knowledge of the lien claim. Further it was argued that no party would have done anything differently had the proper interest been named.
Master Prowse considered his earlier decision in Norson Construction Ltd. v Clear Skies Heating & Air Conditioning Ltd., 2017 ABQB 188. That was a case where the lienholder's error was found to be curable. The Master distinguished between the type of mistake in the Norson and the mistake made by the Contractor in this case:
- In Norson, the lienholder correctly identified the interest being liened (fee simple), but simply identified the wrong company as owner;
- In the current case, it wasn't simply a typo in the name; rather the Contractor registered a lien against an interest that was not properly lienable to begin with.
The difference between the two types of mistake makes all the difference. While a mistake in the name of the owner of the land may be cured, a failure to lien the correct interest cannot (on the basis there is no substantial compliance). Citing a string of authorities all pointing to the same outcome, Master Prowse found he had no choice but to strike out the Plaintiff's lien. Master Prowse expressed sympathy for the Plaintiff's arguments, but held that he was handcuffed by the binding authorities until a Queen's Bench judge decided otherwise.
How does this decision affect you? A small mistake in your Statement of Lien may have big consequences. Until the Court decides to re-examine the established case law, an error in identifying the interest to be liened will continue to be a fatal one. The best way to ensure that your lien claim is not lost by such an error is to seek legal advice before the lien is registered.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
