Caledonia compensation

A lawyer in Caledonia says the clock is ticking for hundreds of people involved in the class action lawsuit following the 2006 protests at Douglas Creek Estates. If they hope to receive the remaining $1.5 million owed to them, a claim must be made to the Law Society next week.

John Findlay, the lawyer who won the $20 million class action lawsuit and was handling the funds confessed that he spent the remaining $1.5 million that was expected to be handed out this year and faces disciplinary action.

Peter Murray has been a lawyer for over 45 years and says the Law Society, which regulates licences and disciplines lawyers in Ontario, maintains a fund for situations like this. But there’s a catch, clients have only 6 months to make a claim after notice of any wrong doing, that makes the deadline November 29th.

Murray’s firm is in Caledonia and he was a plaintiff in the class action lawsuit along with over 400 others who were affected by the unrest in 2006 where activists from Six Nations took over a housing development under construction to dispute land claims with the Federal government. He’s offered to help those people regain the last of the funds owed to them with a fee of 25% of the amount recovered plus HST. More than half of the plaintiffs have signed on with Murray.

Peter Murray says he doesn’t believe the Law Society will process claims until John Findlay’s final disciplinary hearing is held, a date has not been set. The Law Society says Findlay’s law licence remains suspended and the investigation is ongoing.