Petition (Court File No. VLC-S-S-248901 December 20, 2024)
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Michael Lares, or “Michael”, filed his Petition in the Supreme Court of British Columbia against the other shareholder/director of Flying “L” Ranch Ltd., Peter van der Heyden, or “PvdH”, seeking an order requiring PvdH to sell his 50% ownership shares in the Company to Michael and to transfer PvdH's privately owned 80-acre adjacent parcel of land to the Company, for a collective price of two million dollars ($2,000,000) to be paid by Michael.
There are a number of documents in this file including the parties’ respective positions as reflected in the Petition, the Response to Petition, affidavits, and exhibits filed or referred to in the proceeding. The court records also include a Notice of Application by PvdH seeking an order disqualifying Royal Morton and McQuarrie Hunter LLP from continuing to act for Michael in this matter or any related matter “as a consequence of conflict of interest”, McQuarrie’s Response opposing that application, and a Notice of Appointment or Change of Lawyer appointing Corry A. Clark of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP to act as lawyer for Michael Lares in place of Royal J. Morton of McQuarrie Hunter LLP.
We have assembled a summary of the Petition, Response to Petition, and supporting affidavit materials in Court File No. VLC-S-S-248901. The summary does not attempt to determine the truth of any disputed allegation. The court documents are available and listed below. Readers are encouraged to rely on their own reading of the source materials.
In broad terms:
- Michael's Petition presents a narrative in which PvdH provided funding toward the acquisition, Michael ran the ranch and the Company’s operations, social media formed part of those operations, and PvdH later became distrustful and sought broader information and control.
- PvdH's Response to Petition takes the position that Michael’s presentation omits or compresses material points, including that PvdH says he provided the full acquisition funding, that Michael engaged McQuarrie on behalf of the Company for the Defamation Matter without PvdH’s knowledge, and that the related directors’ resolution showed “N/A” written above PvdH’s name. PvdH also expressly pleads oppression, including allegations that he was denied bookkeeping and financial information, obstructed in trying to monitor the Company’s affairs, was not consulted or informed when Michael unilaterally took out a CEBA loan in the name of the Company and PvdH, was excluded from participation in management, and that Michael treated the Company as if it were a sole proprietorship, used Company funds for personal expenses, and paid Company funds to family members. PvdH also says he later discovered Michael’s two prior U.S. bankruptcies, which had not previously been disclosed to him.
- PvdH filed a Notice of Application seeking to disqualify Royal Morton and McQuarrie Hunter LLP from continuing to act for Michael “as a consequence of conflict of interest”. McQuarrie filed a Response opposing the Application.
- Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP filed a Notice of Appointment or Change of Lawyer appointing Corry A. Clark of Fasken in place of Royal Morton of McQuarrie Hunter LLP.
Important note: No court has made any finding that any allegations are true.
Court Records:
- Michael Lares' Petition to the Court (December 20, 2024)
- Affidavit #1 of Michael Lares
- Affidavit #1 of Barbara Poth
- Peter van der Heyden Response to Petition (February 19, 2025)
- Affidavit of Peter van der Heyden
- Affidavit of Gurpreet Uppal - Notice of Application to Disqualify McQuarrie Hunter LLP (May 6, 2025)
- Affidavit of Michelle El - McQuarrie Hunter LLP Response to Application to Disqualify (May 20, 2025)
- Affidavit of Benjamin Morley
- Affidavit #2 of Michael Lares
- Affidavit #2 of Barbara Poth
- Notice of Appointment or Change of Lawyer (October 2, 2025)
Return to Public Court Records page.
April 28, 2026