Samantha Valvona Archives - Casey and Moss LLP

WRIT OF SEIZURE AND SALE: SHOULD YOU FILE THROUGH REGISTRAR OR WRITFILING?

Mar 11, 2026

A judgment has been awarded to you, but the money hasn’t arrived, yet. We’ve discussed the option of Garnishment in my previous blog. You probably have also heard of a Writ of Seizure and Sale, but how to start the process? Does it have to be filed at the Sheriff’s Office? Did you also accidentally call the York regional police for a sheriff? Oops! Fortunately, there is a new route to have a Writ issued electronically via WritFiling. We will walk you through both options.

Issuance Through the Registrar

A creditor can submit a Writ of Seizure and Sale (Form 60A) (“Writ”) to be issued with a Requisition form at the court registrar where the original proceeding commenced[1].

The Requisition form should detail the date and the amount of payment received, the amount owing, and the rate of post-judgement interest[2]. A copy of the Order should be attached to the Requisition form.

Once a Writ is issued, it may be filed with a Sheriff[3]. The Sheriff’s office is the Enforcement office of the Superior Court of Justice (NOT the police office!)

While the Writ should be issued where the Judgment was granted, it must be filed at the Enforcement office in the region where the debtor lives or owns assets. For example, if your judgment is issued in Toronto and the debtor lives in Richmond Hill. The Writ should be issued in Toronto, but the issued Writ is to be filed at the Sheriff’s Office in Newmarket court.

You may locate the Enforcement office through the following website: https://www.onwrits.ca/en/enforcement-offices/.

For Writ of Seizure and Sale of a property, the Writ should include a legal description of the real property, which can be found in the parcel register. Check out my previous blog: a walk through of the parcel register.

Issuance Through the WritFiling

During the Covid-19 pandemic, technology streamlined the process for legal professionals to issue and file Writs remotely[4].

An authorized user such as a lawyer or a paralegal[5] (for Form 20D: Writ of Seizure and Sale of Land only) may electronically issue the Writ through WritFiling, a product of Teranet software, instead of filing through registrar and enforcement office[6]. An electronically issued Writ is considered to have been both issued by the court and filed with the Sheriff[7].

To use this service, authorized users may submit an application and will receive a secure token. WritFiling has very detailed user guide on application and how to file and issue a Writ.

The filing process is very straightforward, and the issued Writ is designed to be clear and easy to understand. A service fee of $34.95 plus HST will be applied each time. Below is a sample of an electronically issued Writ of Seizure and Sale for your reference.

Whether you choose to file the Writ through the court registrar yourself or retain a lawyer to file through WritFiling, understanding the procedural nuances is the key to successfully enforcing the Judgment and collecting the debts. In my next blog, we will dive deeper into the next phase: how to direct the Sheriff to enforce your issued Writ.

Jennifer Jiang

Nothing contained in this post constitutes legal advice or establishes a solicitor-client relationship. If you have any questions regarding your legal rights or legal obligations, you should consult a lawyer.

[1] Rules of Civil Procedure, R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 194 [“Rules”], Rule 60.07(1).

[2] ibid

[3] Ibid at Rule 60.07 (5.1)

[4] “Teranet WritFling Solution Expands Services to Offer Convenience and Facilitate Collaboration.” Teranet, November 23, 2020, Online: <https://www.teranet.ca/insights/teranet-writfiling-solution-expands-services-to-offer-convenience-and-facilitate-collaboration/>

[5] Supra at Rule 60.07(0.1)

[6] Rules, Rule 60.07(1.1)

[7] Ibid at Rule 60.07(1.3); “How do I file/issue or file a writ?”, WritFiling, Online:<https://www.onwrits.ca/en/help-support/support/faq/issue-file-a-writ/how-do-i-file-issue-or-file-a-writ/>

“MERCY” – JUST A MOVIE OR THE FUTURE OF THE COURT?

Feb 17, 2026

Hollywood has done it again. They’ve made a movie that makes you ask yourself, “is this just a movie, or is it a possible reality?”

In the movie “Mercy” a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department is put on trial before an AI Judge for the murder of his wife, Nicole. All the evidence points to Chris having killed his wife, so he is required to go before the AI Judge and make a case that will lower his probability of guilt to 92%. While on trial, the AI Judge gives Chris access to all available resources and information he may need to use as evidence to prove his innocence. He may ask the AI Judge for documents, police records/evidence, access to live and recorded camera/video footage, make phone calls to the police department, or anyone relevant to proving his innocence, and much more. He is given 90 minutes before the AI Judge to prove his innocence. Failure to do so will result in immediate execution.

The AI Judge in the movie is designed to be an objective, data-driven system free from human emotion and prejudice, operating within a program to ensure a 100% accuracy rate for conviction. However, the film also highlights how, (spoiler alert!), the system can make incorrect, life-or-death decisions.

There is no secret that technology is advancing and that AI is everywhere. With the progression of AI, the thought in my mind has always been whether my professional life/career would be impacted and, if so, how and how much. I always thought my career wouldn’t be impacted very much given the nature of my work. However, this movie opened my eyes to the likelihood that anything could be possible.

At the end of the day, this is a movie. But, what if one day it becomes reality?

Movie trailer: Mercy Official Trailer

Samantha Valvona

DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOUR FURRY FRIENDS WHEN YOU PREPARE YOUR WILL (BUT LET’S BE REAL… HOW COULD YOU FORGET ABOUT THEM?)

Aug 21, 2025

If you had kids, wouldn’t you make sure they were taken care of if something were to happen to you? Of course. So why aren’t we doing the same for our furry friends?

I’ve worked in Estates for 5 years and have been an animal lover for 28. I’ve seen a lot of Wills, however, I’ve noticed that none of them specify what would happen to their pets if they were to pass.

Now I know what you are thinking, not everyone likes these messy, smelly, hairy, EXPENSIVE (but adorable) animals, but did you know that 60% of Canadian households own at least one pet? By my calculations, that means I should have come across at least a handful of Wills that mentioned their fur babies.

I suspect that people don’t include their pets in their Wills because they either don’t know you can, or they assume a loved one will automatically care for them. Whether it be because they couldn’t imagine giving the animal away or because it may be the last living thing tied to your deceased loved one. However, that’s not realistic to assume nor expect, because animals are a big responsibility.

Now, who is “qualified” to take on the responsibility of being a fur parent?

Consider their lifestyle. Do they have enough space/room? Are they renting or owning their home? Are they physically fit/capable of giving the animal the care it needs? Does anyone in the household have pet allergies?
Consider the time commitment. What is their work schedule? Do they have any upcoming travel plans? If they have any kids already, are the kids ready to interact safely with a pet (and is the pet able to interact safely with children?) Are they planning to start a family soon?
Consider the financial responsibility. Can they afford the ongoing costs and unexpected expenses?

The list goes on.

Please make sure you consider these questions when you are drafting your Will and planning to include your pets. If you have a specific person in mind, ask yourself the above questions, and once you think you have a suitable person, have a conversation with them and make sure they’re agreeable to taking on the responsibility. And it never hurts to have a backup – just in case!

The reality is, if you don’t properly consider the future care of your fur baby, they can end up in a shelter. Shelters are extremely overcrowded and underfunded, and with the cost of living getting more and more expensive, people can hardly afford kids, let alone animals. While children are almost always accounted for in the case that their parents pass, pets are not, and there aren’t the same securities and care put in place to keep them homed, fed, and cared for. Abandoned pets are often (and sadly) euthanized.

It’s important we also don’t forget the furry friends that have already passed and live on a shelf in your loved one’s home. Don’t let them end up in the trash or on a new shelf in a Value Village or Good Will.

Now, here is where I say something crazy, stay with me. I don’t have kids. My dogs are my kids and that is crazy to some people because animals don’t share the same DNA. But real animal lovers will get it.

Introducing the Casey & Moss LLP furry friends. The emotional support behind our toughest days.