Legal Blog

House Inspection

Miller Desjardins v JF Lajoie Construction Inc. 2025 Ont SCJ

A house inspector missed obvious patent defects, resulting in the purchasers having problematic foundation, roof, and some windows and doors. The judge held that there was no breach of contract because the purchasers’ real estate agent retained the inspector and paid his $425 fee. Although we do not agree with this finding, it does not matter; the judge held that the inspector breached his duty of care in tort to the purchasers and awarded damages of approximately $68,000.

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