Legal Blog

Costs – Offer to Settle

Welton v. United Lands Corporation Limited 2020 Ont CA

A plaintiff had been successful at trial, obtaining an award of $182,000 (although she claimed millions). The defendants had submitted an offer in May 2019, four days before the trial of the 2012 action, at $190,000 plus costs. Its previous offer had been submitted in 2012 for $15,000. Although the 2019 offer did not comply with Rule 49, the trial judge used his residual discretion to allow the plaintiff her costs to the date of the 2019 offer at $33,000 and the defendants their costs after the date of the offer of $41,000. The Court of Appeal held that it was unreasonable to make a last-minute settlement offer after the Rule 49 deadline had expired, following a previous offer that could only be described as contemptuous. The court overturned the costs award and allowed the plaintiff $84,000 in costs.

Written by Jonathan Speigel, the founding partner of Speigel Nichols Fox LLP, leads the litigation and construction practices.