{"id":52702,"date":"2026-07-03T13:18:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T17:18:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.millerthomson.com\/?p=52702"},"modified":"2026-07-03T13:26:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T17:26:47","slug":"british-columbia-insurers-applying-for-leave-does-not-stop-the-limitation-clock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.millerthomson.com\/en\/insights\/insurance\/british-columbia-insurers-applying-for-leave-does-not-stop-the-limitation-clock\/","title":{"rendered":"British Columbia insurers: Applying for leave does not stop the limitation clock"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Miss the deadline to file a third-party notice in British Columbia, and your right to recover from a contributing party is gone: no discretion, no second chances. For insurers that rely on contribution and indemnity claims to offset liability exposure, that is a costly mistake that careful claims handling can prevent.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Oldcastle Building Products Canada Inc. v Division 8 Consulting Corp<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>, 2026 BCCA 223 (\u201cOldcastle<\/em><\/strong>\u201d), the British Columbia Court of Appeal drew a bright line: the limitation period stops only when the third-party notice is filed. Applying for leave, even within time, is not enough.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brief facts: A construction dispute, a subcontractor, and a missed deadline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The case arises from a construction dispute involving alleged defects in a building. The plaintiff sued multiple parties, including Oldcastle Building Products Canada Inc. (\u201cOldcastle Inc.<\/strong>\u201d), alleging negligence and breach of contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oldcastle Inc. took the position that Division 8 Consulting Corp. (\u201cDivision 8<\/strong>\u201d), an engineering and design subcontractor, was partly responsible for the alleged deficiencies. As a result, Oldcastle Inc. sought to bring Division 8 into the action through a third-party claim for contribution and indemnity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Procedural history: How Oldcastle Inc. lost its window, step by step<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Oldcastle Inc. had two years from August 14, 2018, the date it was served with the Notice of Civil Claim, to commence its claim against Division 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After being served with the claim on August 14, 2018, Oldcastle Inc. filed a response and brought an initial application for leave to issue a third-party notice in July 2020. The application with respect to Division 8 was dismissed, with permission to reapply on the basis of a revised proposed third-party notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A second application was filed in March 2021 and heard in September 2021. The parties entered into a tolling agreement extending the limitation period to the hearing date or September 30, 2021. Although Oldcastle Inc. was granted leave to file the third-party notice against Division 8, it did not do so until June 14, 2022. Division 8 then moved to strike the claim as out of time, while Oldcastle Inc. argued that the limitation period had been preserved by filing the leave application within time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The court’s ruling: A leave application is not a commenced claim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The chambers judge considered when a third-party claim is \u201ccommenced\u201d for the purposes of section 22(2) of the Limitation Act<\/em>, S.B.C. 2012, c. 13<\/a> (the \u201cLimitation<\/em> Act<\/em><\/strong>\u201d). They concluded that a claim is commenced only when the third-party notice itself is filed, not when an application for leave is filed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In reaching this conclusion, the judge relied on the wording of the Limitation Act<\/em>, the Supreme Court Civil Rules<\/em><\/a>, and appellate guidance, including Sohal v Lezama<\/em><\/a>, 2021 BCCA 40 (\u201cSohal<\/em><\/strong>\u201d), which we discussed in a previous article discussing the strict two-year limitation period to commence third-party claims<\/a>, and Neale Engineering Ltd. v Ross Land Mushroom Farm Ltd<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>, 2023 BCCA 429. These authorities emphasize that claims for contribution and indemnity must be pursued promptly and within the applicable limitation period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The judge found that a third-party notice is an \u201coriginating pleading\u201d that starts a proceeding, whereas a notice of application is not. They also held that accepting Oldcastle Inc.\u2019s position would undermine the purpose of sections 16 and 22(2) of the Limitation Act<\/em>, which require defendants to identify and pursue contribution claims early in the litigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accordingly, the third-party notice was set aside as time-barred. Oldcastle Inc. appealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Court of Appeal agrees: File the notice or lose the claim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and affirmed the chambers judge\u2019s decision. It held that, for the purposes of section 22(2) of the Limitation Act<\/em>, a contribution or indemnity claim is commenced only when the third-party notice is filed. An application for leave does not stop the running of the limitation period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relying on Sohal<\/em>, the Court of Appeal confirmed that a \u201ccourt proceeding\u201d refers to an originating process. A third-party notice qualifies because it starts a new claim, whereas a notice of application does not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Court of Appeal rejected arguments that this interpretation was unfair or impractical. It noted that defendants concerned about limitation risks can file a separate action for contribution or indemnity before the deadline expires and later seek to have the matters heard together, if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Court of Appeal also rejected the argument that the relevant date should be the hearing of the leave application or the granting of leave. It held that only the filing of the third-party notice commences the proceeding. The appeal was therefore dismissed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five key takeaways for insurers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Filing an application for leave does not stop the limitation clock<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In British Columbia, the only act that commences a third-party claim for contribution and indemnity is filing the third-party notice itself. Applying for leave, even within the limitation period, does not preserve the claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The two-year window starts from the date the insured is served<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Insurers and counsel need to calendar this date immediately and work backward from it, not treat it as something to address once the defence strategy is settled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Delays in investigating liability directly threaten recovery rights <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Potential third parties must be identified early. Waiting until the defence picture is clear before pursuing contribution claims is a strategy that can permanently eliminate recovery options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. When in doubt, file a separate action<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Court of Appeal confirmed that defendants facing limitation risk can commence a standalone contribution action before the deadline and later seek to have it heard together with the main action. This is the safety valve, but it requires early awareness of the risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Tolling agreements are not a complete solution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In Oldcastle<\/em>, the parties entered a tolling agreement, and the claim was still lost because the notice wasn’t filed before the agreed deadline. Tolling agreements must be carefully drafted and monitored, and they should never be used as a substitute for timely filing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What this means for British Columbia insurers: Act early or risk losing recovery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In British Columbia, the limitation period for contribution and indemnity claims is stopped only by filing the third-party notice itself. Filing an application for leave is not sufficient. Potential third parties must be identified promptly, and delays in investigating liability can jeopardize recovery opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To mitigate this risk, insurers and counsel may need to file third-party claims earlier or commence separate contribution actions as a protective measure. While this may increase upfront costs, it ensures that recovery options are not lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have questions about preserving contribution and indemnity claims, managing limitation risks in ongoing litigation, or developing proactive claims-handling strategies, contact our a lawyer from our Insurance and Risk Management<\/a> group for assistance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Miss the deadline to file a third-party notice in British Columbia, and your right to recover from a contributing party is gone: no discretion, no second chances. For insurers that rely on contribution and indemnity claims to offset liability exposure, that is a costly mistake that careful claims handling can prevent.   In Oldcastle Building […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":122,"featured_media":26711,"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[525],"insight-format":[416],"class_list":["post-52702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insurance"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBritish Columbia insurers: Applying for leave does not stop the limitation clock | Miller Thomson<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"BC's Court of Appeal just confirmed: filing a leave application does not stop the limitation clock on third-party claims. 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