City faces $1-million lawsuit over 2014 revocation of five taxi plate licences

Claim alleges licences were taken from their former owner with no restitution

The former owner of a set of once highly sought after Calgary taxi plate licences is suing the city over their revocation.

Harjit Seroya is seeking damages of $1 million, for the loss of five plates, or TPLs, he accumulated between 1986 and 2002.

Seroya’s lawsuit says while he purchased the plates for the total sum of $134,500, they were each worth $200,000 when the city took them from him.

The claim, says Seroya, authorized independent operators to use the plates he had purchased.

His lawsuit says the plates were improperly revoked in April 2014, when the city alleged he breached the municipal taxi bylaw by charging a fee to operators using the plate licences.

“Said assertions were untrue and the plaintiffs at no time charged any operator for use of the (plates),” say Seroya’s claim, filed on his behalf as well as three incorporated transport companies.

“The plaintiff appealed the decision of the city to revoke the TPLs, but such appeal was dismissed and the city ordered said TPLs to be transferred to Associated Cab Ltd. without proper compensation or restitution,” it says.

“At the time of the transfer, June of 2014, each TPL was valued at $200,000.

“Said transfer was unconscionable and without regard for compensation to the plaintiffs for the value of the TPLs.”

The claim does not name Associated Cab Ltd. as a defendant, nor does it accuse the taxi company of any wrongdoing.

Along with the $1 million in damages being claimed against the city, Seroya is seeking “an order deeming the transfer of the TPLs to Associated Cab Ltd. unconscionable.”

According to the city, a total of 1,884 taxi plate licences have been issued, or are in the process of being issued.

The plates were at one time highly sought, but with the advent of ride sharing companies have lost their value.

A statement of defence disputing the unproven allegations contained in Seroya’s claim has not been filed.

Said assertions were untrue and the plaintiffs at no time charged any operator for use of the (plates)