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CIVIL LAW PROPERTY
2004 - 2005
Julien Morissette
INTRODUCTION 5
PART ONE – Introduction to the Civil Law of Property 6
Chapter I – Historical Background to Civil Law Property 6
Chapter II – Theory of Patrimony 6
Section 1 – Origin of theory 6
Section 2 – Definition of patrimony 6
Section 3 – Role of the theory in the civil law tradition 8
Section 4 – Classification of subjective rights based on the concept of patrimony 9
A. Patrimonial rights 9
B. Extra-patrimonial rights 10
C. How to distinguish both types of rights 12
D. Cases 13
Torrito c. Fondation Lise T. pour le respect… 13
Malo c. Laoun 13
Laprairie Shopping Centre Ltd. (Syndic de) c. Pearl 14
E. Extra-patrimoniality of family relationships 14
PART TWO – Classification of Property (or Patrimonial Rights) and of Things 15
Chapter I - Distinction Between Real Rights, Personal Rights, Intellectual Rights 15
Section 1 – Real rights (jus in re) 15
Section 2 – Personal rights or ‘droits de créances’ (jus in personam) 15
Ouimet c. Guilbaut 16
Section 3 – Comparison between the real right and the personal right 17
A. Both are patrimonial rights (property) 17
B. 2 faces of a personal right: property for the creditor, obligation for the debtor 17
C. Real rights: determined, specific and present object 17
D. Personal rights 17
E. Movable and immovable character 17
F. Opposability of real rights and inopposability of personal rights 17
G. Principle and accessory real rights on immovables 18
H. Option of abandonment (“faculté d’abandon”) 20
Section 4 – Other species of property: Intellectual property 20
Diffusion YFB Inc. c. Les Disques Gamma (Québec) Ltée. 21
SOQUIA c. Libman 21
Section 5 – Observations on the use of legal terminology 22
Chapter II - Distinction Between Immovables and Movables 22
Section 1 – Origin and evolution of classification 22
Section 2 – Classification of the CCQ, comparison between codes 22
A. Immovables 23
900 CCQ 23
Bélair c. Ste-Rose (Ville de) 24
Cablevision (Montréal) Inc. c. Sous-min. du Revenu de la Prov. de Québec 24
901, 903 CCQ 24
Nadeau c. Rousseau 25
Horn Elevator Limited c. Domaine d’Iberville Limitée 26
How would Nadeau c. Rousseau and Horn Elevator be decided today? 26
Construtek G. B. Inc. c. Laforge 26
Axor Construction Canada Ltée c. 3099-2200 Québec Inc 27
What is the interest of characterizing objects under 901 OR 903? 27
Some additional points 27
B. Movables 28
C. Cantin’s characterization method: movable or immovable 28
Section 3 - Relevance of classification today 29
Chapter III - Other classifications 29
Section 1 – Capital and fruit or income 29
Section 2 – Fungible and consumable things 30
A. Fungibility 30
B. Consumability 31
C. Application of these notions 31
Section 3 – Things susceptible of appropriation or things in commerce, res nullius, res communes 31
A. Things in commerce or susceptible of appropriation 31
B. Res nullius 32
C. Res communis 32
Section 4 – Legal characterization of water 33
Morin c. Morin 34
PART THREE – Property in Relation with Persons (Subjects of Rights in Land) 35
Chapter I - Private Ownership of Land and its Origin 35
Section 1 – The Seigneurial system and its abolition 35
Section 2 – Permanent consequences of abolition of tenure system for real rights structuring in Quebec 36
Section 3 – Private ownership of land (or private domain); multiple sources; content of title 37
A. Rights of private owners on underground resources 37
B. Diverse origins of property in Quebec and influence on riparian rights 38
Québec (P.G.) c. Houde 38
Québec (P.G.) c. Auger 38
Section 4 – State ownership of land (or public domain): Province and municipalities 39
A. Crown corporations 39
Construction D.R.M. Inc. c. Bâtiments Kalad’art Inc. 39
PART FOUR – The Right of Ownership 41
Chapter I - Concept of Ownership in Quebec and the Civil Law Tradition 41
Section 1 – The “paramount” real right 41
Section 2 – Attributes of ownership 42
Section 3 – Characteristics of ownership 42
Section 4 – Conclusion on the right of ownership 44
Chapter II - Restrictions in the Exercise of the Right of Ownership 44
Section 1 – Relations between neighbours: abnormal inconvenience vs. abuse of right and encroachment 44
Lessard c. Bernard 45
Gourdeau c. Letellier de St-Just 45
Barrette c. Ciment du St-Laurent 46
A. Who is the neighbour? 46
B. Future damages 47
C. Inconveniences vs. bad faith and abuse of right 47
D. Possibility to request only an injunction 47
E. The State can be a neighbour 47
Section 2 – Other codal restrictions 47
A. CCQ 991 47
B. CCQ 990, 1467 47
C. CCQ 953 and its exceptions 48
D. Relevance of Patault’s text (p. 21) 48
E. Establishing property lines 48
Thémens c. Royer 49
F. Additional CCQ restrictions 49
Section 3 – Expropriation and other instances of non-consensual acquisition 49
Sula c. Cité de Duvernay 50
Section 4 – Statutory limitations of public interest (outside the CCQ) 50
Chapter II - Acquisition of the Right of Ownership 50
Section 1 - Possession and acquisitive prescription 50
A. Definition and requirements for effective possession 51
Codal provisions 51
Contrasting possession and other notions 52
Posssession and appearence of title 53
Qualities of Possession 53
B. Legal effects of juridical possession 53
Acquisitive prescription (usucapio) 55
Sivret c. Giroux 55
Section 3 - Occupation 56
Boivin c. P.G. Québec 56
Section 4 - Accession 57
Location Fortier Inc. c. Pacheco 57
A. Landowner’s right of the space above 57
Lacroix c. R. 58
B. Presumption of single ownership 58
C. Mode of acquisition 58
D. Limits and boundaries 59
E. Construction encroaching on neighbour’s land 60
Thémens c. Royer 60
PART FIVE – Modalities of Ownership or Special Modes of Ownership 61
Chapter I - Indivision or Undivided Co-ownership 61
Section 1 - Legal analysis of indivision 61
A. Nature of title of indivision 62
Régime complémentaire de retraite de la S.T.C.U.M. c. Bandera Investment Company 62
Harel c. 2760-1699 Québec inc. 63
B. Exercise of a right of indivision 64
C. Administration of the object of indivision 65
Section 2 - Indivision agreement or contract: content and effects 66
Section 3 - Partitition or end of indivision 66
A. Action for partition 66
Chapter II – Permanent co-ownership of an immovable 67
Section 1 - Common walls or other works of division 67
Zambito-Orazio c. Meneghini 68
Groleau c. Société immobilière du patrimoine architectural de Montréal 68
Section 2 - Common immovable accessory 68
Michon c. Leduc 69
Section 3 - Divided co-ownership of an immovable (condominium) 69
A. The establishment of an immovable in divided co-ownership 69
B. Structure and nature of co-owner’s rights 70
C. Destination of an immovable: content and role 73
Talbot c. Guay 74
Syndicat des copropriétaires de Trillium Court Condominium c. Ouellette 74
Bergeron c. Martin 75
Kilzi c. Syndicat des co-propriétaires du 10,400 boul. L’Acadie 75
Valid and invalid clauses 75
Wilson v. Syndicat des copropriétaires du condominium Le Champlain 75
D. A few issues related to destination 76
E. Functioning and duration of the co-ownership 78
F. Right to periodical enjoyment or time-sharing (multipropriété) 79
Chapter III - Superficies 79
Section 1 – Legal regime of superficies 79
Morin c. Grégoire 80
Section 2 – Right of superficies or superficiary ownership: modality or dismemberment? 81
Stone-Consolidated c. Pierre Desjardins Gestion inc. 82
PART SIX – Dismemberments of Ownership 84
Chapter I - Usufruct and other similar personal servitudes 84
Section 1 - Content or nature of the right of the usufructuary 84
Larocque c. Beauchamps 86
Section 2 - Legal regime of usufruct 86
Other real right of enjoyment: 87
Banque nationale du Canada c. Gravel 88
Chapter II - Emphyteusis 88
Section 1 - Nature of an emphyteutic right 88
Section 2 - Requirements for its constitution, comparison with usufruct and superficies 89
Alta Mura Construction inc. c. Société des parcs de sciences naturelles du Québec 90
H.L.P., Société en commandite c. Beauport (Ville de) 90
Sunlife Assurance Co. of Canada c. 137578 Canada inc. 91
Chapter III - Real servitudes 91
Section 1 - Definition, characteristics and constitution of a real servitude 91
Section 2 - Nature of the charge which may constitute a real servitude 92
Épiciers unis Métro-Richelieu c. Standard Life Assurance Co. 93
Cadieux c. Hinse 94
Section 3 - Legal regime and extinction 94
Whitworth c. Martin 95
Auger c. Grenier 96
Chapter IV - Is there a Numerus Clausus of Real Rights? 96
Duchaine c. Matamajaw Salmon Club Ltd. 97
Matamajaw Salmon Club Ltd. v. Duchaine 97
P.G. Québec c. Club Appalaches inc. 98
Chapter IV.1 - The Notion of Real Obligation 99
Chapter V - Registration of Immovable Real Rights 99
APPENDIX 1: RIGHTS IN LAND OF NATIVE PEOPLES 100
Section 1 – Historical relationship between Euro-Canadians and Aboriginals 100
Section 2 – Land rights in the Indian Act 101
A. Collective land rights 101
B. Consequences of collective rights 101
C. Rights of individual possession 102
Section 3 – Land rights in the Constitution 102
Section 4 – Treaty rights 103
Section 5 – Conclusion 103
Section 6 – Cantin’s comments on Leclair’s lecture 103
APPENDIX 2: CANTIN’S MOVABLE-IMMOVABLE CHARACTERIZATION METHOD 105
APPENDIX 2: THE QUEBEC CIVIL LAW TRUST 106
Royal Trust Co. v. Tucker [1982] SCC p. 511 106
Crown Trust Co. v. Oscar Higher et al [1975] SCC p. 520 106
Bank of Nova Scotia v. Thibault [2003] SCC p. 534 106
Section 1 – Introduction 107
Section 2 – Creation of the CCQ trust 107
Section 3 – Definition of the Quebec trust 108
Section 4 – Requirements for the constitution of a trust 109
September 1
INTRODUCTION
Droit: body of law, not only legislation (doctrine, jurisprudence, principles...).
Lois: acts, legislation.
Droit civil is much wider than the CCQ.
Civil Law tradition: Comes from the Romans. Roman law originally applied to the citizens of Rome, hence ‘civil’. Medieval property law was altered by the re-discovery of Roman law, most of old Germanic laws based on tenure were evacuated.
The CCQ belongs to the French civilian tradition vs. the German tradition. Evolved from French colonial laws.
Civil Law Property: Property is an “owned object or concept” (≠possession). Relates to rights, specifically the right of ownership (droit de propriété).
Droit objectif: body of law.
Droit subjectif: rights of physical persons and moral persons (corporations).
Property = bien ; Ownership = propriété. Property is NOT propriété.
September 8
PART ONE – Introduction to the Civil Law of Property
Chapter I – Historical Background to Civil Law Property
Roman law is an important source for the civilian tradition. It disappeared in the 5th C. as law enforced by a State, but its writings were rediscovered in the 11th C. in Northern Italy. Roman and Justinian writings started to influence customary (ancient) law. Customary law was transformed.
The feudal definition of property disappeared, was replaced by the Roman one.
Patault (important part before p. 118 of text): The State and philosophical ideas also had an influence, as well as the emergence of capitalism.
Chapter II – Theory of Patrimony
In CVL, patrimoine = patrimony. This is a legal construct, which serves a structuring purpose:
1. Leads to a theory which classifies a person’s different rights (“droits subjectifs”).
2. Embodies an economic reality: a person’s property (rights in the patrimony) is used as collateral for her debts.
The notion of person in law is also a construct. In nature, there are human beings, not persons. ‘Person’ is a concept, especially for moral persons.
Section 1 – Origin of theory
In Roman law: patrimonium was a related but different notion. Relatively recent theory (Aubry & Rau, p. 25). Concept that is more general than the law of property (Ghestin & Goubeaux, p. 28).
The theory originated in Germany. The first scholar to formulate it: Zacharie (1810). Borrowed by Aubry & Rau in France around 1850, it spread to all CVL jurisdictions. Not really new: formalization of previously accepted ideas.
Section 2 – Definition of patrimony
Definitions of patrimony: Aubry & Rau (first sentence p. 25), Ghestin & Goubeaux (¶196-7, p. 28-9) and Baudoin & Jobin (p. 38).
1. Every human being possesses juridical personality and has the full enjoyment of civil rights.
2. Every person has a patrimony.
The patrimony may be divided or appropriated to a purpose, but only to the extent provided by law.
302. Every legal person has a patrimony which may, to the extent provided by law, be divided or appropriated to a purpose. It also has the extra-patrimonial rights and obligations flowing from its nature.
Closest CCQ art. to a definition of patrimony:
2644. The property of a debtor is charged with the performance of his obligations and is the common pledge of his creditors.
Patrimony is a legal / juridical universality that is a grouping of rights and charges, present or future, in which the rights are charged with (or guarantee) the performance of the obligations:
1. Represents an economic reality: assets (rights) and liabilities (obligations).
2. Abstract concept, with an abstract content. Rights (on physical and non-physical objects) are in the patrimony, not the objects of the rights. Ex.: a house is not in one’s patrimony, what is in it is the right of ownership in the house. Paying a debt: transfering a right to money. The right of a creditor is also in a patrimony. Includes intellectual property (ex. patents, copyrights).
3. Unavoidable link between rights and obligations (2644-6) which has a legal, not a contractual source. The law allows creditors to seize property, except what is unseizable (p. 74, CCP) because of some legal argument. Some subjective rights are not in the patrimony and therefore escape seizure.
Patrimonial rights = property = biens.
There is only one juridical universality in civil law: the patrimony.
153. Full age or the age of majority is 18 years.