A Toronto Couple Wins Legal Battle Over Backyard Ownership
A Toronto couple, Pawel Kosicki and Megan Munro, recently emerged victorious in a legal dispute over a portion of their backyard. The issue arose when they discovered that the City of Toronto was listed as the title holder for a section of their property, enclosed by a chain-link fence.
Kosicki and Munro had purchased the residential property in 2017, only to realize years later that a part of their yard was in question. Despite maintaining and using this area as a play space for their children, the city declined their request to buy the disputed portion.
Taking matters to court, the couple invoked adverse possession, often known as squatter’s rights, to stake their claim. Initially ruled against by the Ontario Superior Court and the Court of Appeal, their persistence paid off when the Supreme Court of Canada ultimately ruled in their favor.
The Supreme Court’s decision highlighted that, as per the relevant statutory regulations, the city’s title to the land in question had been extinguished over forty years ago, granting ownership rights to Kosicki and Munro.