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Trespass to Property: The Wrongful Interference with Land Including Things Affixed Thereto
Question: What are the legal implications of trespassing on property in Ontario?
Answer: Trespassing in Ontario can lead to both civil and criminal consequences under the Trespass to Property Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. T.21 and the Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c. C-46. This includes unlawful entry and interference with another person’s land, which may result in liability even without intent to cause harm. Having a knowledgeable team like Caruso Legal Services Paralegal can help navigate these complex issues, ensuring your rights and interests are well protected.
Protections Against Property Interference
Most people associate trespassing with criminal law, like a break & enter; however, trespass to property is also a civil tort as well as a prosecutable offence. As a prosecutable offence, trespass to property is addressed by the Trespass to Property Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. T.21, along with the case law, and in some situations the Criminal Code of Canada, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, depending on the circumstances. As a tort, trespass to property is broad and covers being on and interfering with the land of another person; and the tort of trespass can arise whenever a person enters land without permission, or, even if invited, goes beyond what was permitted or uses the land in an unauthorized way.
The Law
What constitutes as tortious trespass was well explained within the case of Ontario Consumers Home Services v. Enercare Inc., 2014 ONSC 4154 wherein it is stated:
[52] With respect to the claim of trespass to land Lederman J. in Hudson’s Bay at para. 9 states as follows:
Clerk and Lindsell define trespass to land, at p. 837, as consisting of “any unjustified intrusion by one person upon land in the possession of another”. Halsbury’s, Vol. 45, para. 1384 states that “every unlawful entry by one person on the land in possession of another is trespassed for which an action lies…
[53] The elements for the claim of trespass to land are set out by Crane J in Grace v. Fort Erie (Town), 2003 CanLII 48456 (ON SC), [2003] O.J. No. 3475 (SCJ) at para. 86:
The elements of trespass have been described as follows:
- Any direct and physical intrusion onto land that is in the possession of the plaintiff, (indirect or consequential interference does not constitute trespass).
- The defendant’s act need not be intentional, but it must be voluntary.
- Trespass is actionable without proof of damage.
- While some form of physical entry onto or contact with the plaintiff’s land is essential to constitute a trespass, the act may involve placing or propelling an object, or discharging some substance onto the plaintiff’s land can constitute trespass.
Trespass to land may happen both deliberately and accidentally. A deliberate example comes from Gross v. Wright, [1923] S.C.R. 214, where one party tried to seize space from a neighbour. Trespass can also happen by mistake, such as crossing a property line without realizing, as occurred in Barnstead v. Ramsey, 1996 CanLII 1574, and Sinkewicz v. Schmidt, 1994 CanLII 5148, where trees belonging to a neighbour were cut down by mistake.
Damages for Trespass
Determining the extent of loss from trespass is not always straightforward. Where trespass occurs but no real harm follows, courts usually respond with only a very small award. The Court of Appeal considered this question of trespass damages in TMS Lighting Ltd. v. KJS Transport Inc., 2014 ONCA 1, pointing out the difficulty in proving damages with exactness and stating:
[61] It is also beyond controversy that a plaintiff bears the onus of proving his or her claimed loss and the quantum of associated damages on a reasonable preponderance of credible evidence. Further, as the trial judge recognized in this case, a trial judge is obliged to do his or her best to assess the damages suffered by a plaintiff on the available evidence even where difficulties in the quantification of damages render a precise mathematical calculation of a plaintiff’s loss uncertain or impossible. Mathematical exactitude in the calculation of damages is neither necessary nor realistic in many cases. The controlling principles were clearly expressed by Finlayson J.A. of this court in Martin v. Goldfarb, 1998 CanLII 4150 (ON CA), [1998] O.J. No. 3403, 112 O.A.C. 138, at para. 75, leave to appeal to S.C.C. refused, [1998] S.C.C.A. No. 516:
I have concluded that it is a well established principle that where damages in a particular case are by their inherent nature difficult to assess, the court must do the best it can in the circumstances. That is not to say, however, that a litigant is relieved of his or her duty to prove the facts upon which the damages are estimated. The distinction drawn in the various authorities, as I see it, is that where the assessment is difficult because of the nature of the damage proved, the difficulty of assessment is no ground for refusing substantial damages even to the point of resorting to guess work. However, where the absence of evidence makes it impossible to assess damages, the litigant is entitled to nominal damages at best.
See also Cadbury Schweppes Inc. v. FBI Foods Ltd., 1999 CanLII 705 (SCC), [1999] 1 S.C.R. 142, at para. 99; 100 Main Street East Ltd. v. W.B. Construction Ltd. (1978), 1978 CanLII 1630 (ON CA), 20 O.R. (2d) 401 (C.A.), 88 D.L.R. (3d) 1, at para. 80; Penvidic Contracting Co. v. International Nickel Co. of Canada, 1975 CanLII 6 (SCC), [1976] 1 S.C.R. 267, at pp. 278-79.
Conclusion
The law of trespass to property applies broadly. As a strict tort, responsibility can arise even where the trespass was unintentional. In situations without bad intent or real damage, only small damages are expected. Yet, there are cases where an accidental trespass has led to major consequences.
