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Azzeh v. Legendre, 2017 ONCA 385: The Lack of Knowledge of Notice Requirement
Question: What counts as a “reasonable excuse” for missing Ontario’s 10-day municipal injury notice requirement under the Municipal Act, 2001?
Answer: Under Azzeh v. Legendre, 2017 ONCA 385 and Municipal Act, 2001, a lack of awareness of the 10-day notice requirement on its own is not a “reasonable excuse,” though it may be considered alongside other extenuating circumstances such as incapacity, whether someone had a representative to act, and the length and explanation for delay. For residents in Bracebridge, ON, MuskokaCriminal.Law™ provides a Criminal Defence Team service to help assess timelines, evidence, and next steps when legal deadlines and notice issues may affect your matter.
Judicial Analysis: Azzeh v. Legendre
The Azzeh v. Legendre, 2017 ONCA 385, confirms that the "reasonable excuse" exception for failing to provide notice of an injury to a municipality within the ten-day notice requirement stipulated in section 44(10) of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, Chapter 25, by itself, excludes failure to provide notice due to a lack of knowledge of the notice requirement. On this issue, it was specifically stated:
[43] In determining what constitutes a reasonable excuse, the words should be given their plain and ordinary meaning, and the court should consider all of the circumstances: see Crinson, at paras. 20-23; and Seif, at paras. 26, 47. Those circumstances would include, among other things, whether the plaintiff was capable of forming the intention to sue the municipality within the notice period under s. 44(10), or had a representative whose responsibility it was to retain a lawyer and pursue all claims; the length of the delay before notice was given; and any explanation of the reason for the delay. Lack of awareness of the notice requirement, standing alone, does not constitute a reasonable excuse, but when considered in combination with other extenuating circumstances, a court may conclude a reasonable excuse exists: see Crinson, at para. 38; and Seif, at para. 29 (per Hoy A.C.J.O., partly in dissent but not on this point).
This case underscores that ignorance of the law, meaning lack of awareness of the ten-day notice requirement, fails to qualify as a "reasonable excuse" for failing to provide the ten-day notice of an injury to a municipality. As what constitutes as a "reasonable excuse" requires careful review, a person seeking to bring a claim against a municipality, without having met the ten-day notice requirement, should carefully review the "reasonable excuse" exception prior to commencing the litigation.
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