May 5, 2003

A Legal Framework for Informal Public Appeal Funds

Appeals to the public for donations are very often made spontaneously when disaster strikes or when funds are needed for a cause that excites public sympathy. Unlike fundraising campaigns by organized charities, these informal public appeals are often carried out with little planning. Sometimes it is not possible to use Read more…

March 5, 2003

The Builders Lien Act and the Pipeline Problem

This project examined the “pipeline problem” that arises occasionally in connection with the Builders Lien Act. When pipelines are constructed across private land, the private landowner has no right to refuse a pipeline right-of-way across his or her land. If the pipeline contractor fails to pay the workers, subcontractors, or Read more…

Creditor Access to the Assets of a Purpose Trust

This report discusses the ruling of the Ontario Court of Appeal in Re Christian Brothers of Ireland in Canada. The ruling asserted that assets held by a charity on a charitable trust for a special purpose were available to satisfy the claims of creditors, even where those claims arose out Read more…

January 5, 2003

The Uniform Liens Act

A lien is a legal claim against property that can prevent it from being sold unless the lien is paid off. This project examined the law governing the liens of repairers, storers, and common carriers. These commercial liens are supposed to provide persons who have repaired, stored, or transported goods Read more…

October 5, 2002

Builders Liens and Arbitration

British Columbia’s Builders Lien Act protects participants in a construction project such as subcontractors, workers, and suppliers of material by providing for a special claim on property for the payment or performance of some debt, obligation, or duty called a lien. A lien is claimed against the construction project itself, Read more…