Legal Information/ Legal Briefs
Legal Briefs
Until 2010, these legal briefs provide examples of judgments pertaining to everyday situations. Beginning in 2012, they deal with various topics of general interest, such as rental issues, family law, human rights, civil liability, insurance, dealings between spouses and social aid. They are intended to inform and to prevent undesirable situations.
Legal Briefs 2013
December
Same-sex spouses, a reality... know your rights! 
MARRIAGE
In Québec, since March 19, 2004, it has been possible for same-sex couples to marry or enter into a civil union.
As a result, in the event of a separation or divorce, same-sex couples who are married or in a civil union benefit from the various types of protection provi
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November
What is child pornography?
Perhaps you sometimes visit porn sites. So as not to commit an offence associated with child pornography, you must avoid accessing images or films that show a person who is or is depicted as being under the age of 18.
Child pornography is a crime that was added to the Criminal Code fai
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October
HAS - Homologation assistance service for agreements
The HAS is intended for parties who wish, for whatever reason, to modify arrangements pertaining to child custody or access rights or to support involving a child or a child and a former spouse, where the parties have previously obtained a judgment with respect to child custody or support. Only peop
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September
How can a decision of the Régie du logement be executed?
Martin sued his landlord before the Régie du logement for damages and to force him to make repairs to his dwelling. After a lengthy legal battle, Martin obtained a judgment in his favour granting him $1,500 in damages.
Now, Martin is wondering what to do in order to collect the sums owed to him.
There are a few steps he can take in order to execute his judgment.
First, he should formally ask his landlord to comply with the judgment and pay him the sums owed, including interest. He should do this in writing, stating that he wants the payment within a specific time limit, failing which he will have no choice but to take steps for the compulsory execution of the judgment.
If the landlord does not cooperate, Martin will have to wait until the decision becomes executory. Sometimes, the time period until steps can be taken for the compulsory execution of a judgement is set out in the judgment itself. If not, it will depend on the proceedings that were instituted, because the law provides for different time periods. In Martin’s case, the time period is 30 days.
Once the 30 days have elapsed, if the decision has not been contested and Martin is still the tenant and there has been no change of landlord, Martin will be able to collect the amount owed to him by effecting compensation against future rental payments. For example, if he pays a monthly rent of $500, he can effect compensation by not paying his rent for 3 months. It is important to note that Martin cannot effect compensation for his damages before the judgment has been rendered and the execution period has elapsed. He cannot take the law into his own hands.
If Martin is no longer the tenant or there has been a change of landlord (sale of the building, repossession, etc.), Martin will have to use traditional methods of execution. Several such methods are available. The following are the ones most commonly used:
- Seizing the debtor’s salary: Martin can have his landlord’s salary seized directly through the landlord’s employer, but only up to the percentage allowed by law. However, he will need to know the employer’s contact information;
- Seizing the bank account: Martin can ask that the sums in the landlord’s bank account be seized. He will need to know the name of the institution with which his landlord does business as well as his landlord’s account number;
- Seizing movable property: Martin can have a bailiff seize his landlord’s movable property, with the exception of unseizable property, such as the instruments of work used by his landlord for carrying on his professional activities, clothing and furniture necessary for the life of the household, etc. After the movable property has been seized, it will be sold in a judicial sale and Martin will be able to collect the amount owed to him from the proceeds of sale.
Martin should consult a firm of court bailiffs, because bailiffs are the ones responsible for executing judgments. The bailiffs will be able to open a file in the Court of Québec and see to it that a writ of seizure is issued and served. They will also be able to explain the various seizure or execution methods available and determine those that are best suited to his situation. (Chambre des huissiers du Québec: 514-721-1100).
If the decision had only dealt with repairs ordered by the Court, Martin could also have made an application to deposit his rent at the Régie du logement. If the authorization to deposit his rent had been granted, this would have put pressure on the landlord to perform his obligations and comply with the judgment.
Lastly, it is important to remember that a judgment is executory for a period of 10 years.
For more information, please visit the web site of the Régie du logement at http://www.rdl.gouv.qc.ca[
Legal brief *
September
2013
Number
13
Text prepared by Me Aliaa Elhage,avocate au bureau d’aide juridique Sud-Ouest à Montréal Pour
* The information set out in this document is not a legal interpretation.
The masculine is used to designate persons solely in order to simplify the text.
June
Can I be compensated by the IVAC and also sue my attacker?
Joëlle was the victim of a violent crime that caused her serious injuries, some of which will never heal. Her attacker was caught and she is therefore thinking about taking him to court in order to be compensated for the harm she suffered. In addition, Joëlle was informed by the investigators in cha
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May
Misconduct and employment insurance
Section 30 of the Employment Insurance Act1 stipulates that a person cannot receive employment insurance benefits if they lose their job because of their misconduct or if they voluntarily leave their job without just cause. The notion of misconduct has been defined in the case law
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May
The obligation of support for spouses
Marie and Robert have been married for 25 years. During their marriage, Robert worked as an engineer in a well-known company and, on average, earned $150,000 a year. Marie stayed home to look after their three children and their home. During this time, Marie never held a paying job, because she was
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April
The IVAC says I’m the author of my own misfortune – What can I do?
Pierre-Olivier occasionally uses illegal drugs. One day, he asks a friend to get him some drugs for a party he is organizing at his home that weekend. During a meeting a few hours after the transaction, the two men get into a verbal argument about an old love feud that goes back several years. While
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March
Repossession of the dwelling by the landlord
Marc and Claudia have been tenants in the same dwelling for the past 10 years. Two days ago, they received a notice of repossession of the dwelling from their landlord.
The landlord informed them that he will repossess their dwelling at the end of the lease, so his 18-year-old son, who is a f
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March
I was injured at work - What should I do?
Nowadays, people are quite familiar with the program of the CSST (Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail) and know that they can claim benefits from this agency if they are injured at work. However, when filing an application, many people approach the process rather clumsily, both as re
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February
Child support
Arthur and Marine had been living together for 5 years. They had two children, Philippe and Frédéric.
For some time, things between them had not been going well and they decided to separate. They therefore each found a new place to live and agreed that Marine would have custody of the childre
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January
My neighbours are too noisy.What are my rights?
You've been living for a short while in an apartment that seemed to be a peaceful haven when you visited the premises before signing the lease. Now, however, you are being disturbed by neighbours who have little respect for your peace and quiet. They turn up the music, even late at night, slam doors
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January
Psychosocial assessments in family matters:Part of the Evidence
A psychosocial assessment is an assessment performed by a specialist in social sciences. It is a complete and unbiased assessment of the family and social situation of a child about whom there is a court dispute involving custody or visitation rights.
The purpose of the expert assessment is t
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