Ontario Sheriff’s Sales Are Running 36% Above Pre-COVID Levels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VAUGHAN, ON — June 8, 2026 — A review of Ontario Gazette notices published from January 2016 through May 2026 found that forced property-sale activity initiated by judgment creditors is running at the highest sustained level in the dataset.

Sheriff’s Sale notices averaged approximately 116 per year from 2023 through 2025, about 36% above the pre-COVID average of 86 per year during 2016–2019. The annual count reached 122 in 2025. Another 75 notices had already been filed through May 31, 2026.

The research was conducted by Litvack Group Inc., a Licensed Insolvency Trustee practice in Ontario, through direct review of individual Ontario Gazette issues spanning more than ten years.

What Is a Sheriff’s Sale—and Why It Surprises Homeowners

A Sheriff’s Sale is different from a mortgage lender’s power of sale. It may begin when an unsecured creditor obtains a court judgment and files a Writ of Seizure and Sale against a debtor’s property.

A homeowner may be current on the mortgage but behind on a credit card, personal loan, line of credit, business debt, or another unsecured obligation. If the creditor obtains a judgment, it can eventually direct the Sheriff to sell the homeowner’s interest in the property.

This separate enforcement process can surprise homeowners who believe their property is at risk only when mortgage payments are missed.

Key Findings

1. Sheriff’s Sale Volume: A Sustained Wave Since 2022

The annual notice totals show a sharp break between the pre-COVID period and the years following the enforcement pause:

• 2016–2019: 342 notices over four tracked years—approximately 86 per year.
• 2020: 22 notices as activity fell during the pandemic enforcement pause.
• 2021: 1 notice during the effective enforcement standstill.
• 2022: 45 notices as older writs began moving again.
• 2023: 108 notices as the post-COVID enforcement wave arrived.
• 2024: 119 notices as elevated activity continued.
• 2025: 122 notices—the highest annual count in the reviewed dataset.
• 2026 YTD: 75 notices through May 31.

The early increase included files delayed during 2020 and 2021. Continued high volume in 2025 and 2026 indicates that recent unsecured-debt defaults are also progressing toward enforcement.

2. Who Is Enforcing: The Institutional Creditor Mix Has Shifted

During 2016–2019, RBC was the most frequently named institutional creditor, appearing in approximately 25% of notices. TD Bank and BMO together represented about 13%, while private creditors accounted for roughly half.

From 2022 through May 2026, TD Bank became the leading institutional creditor at approximately 44% of notices, while BMO rose to approximately 13%. In 2026 specifically, TD Bank and BMO together accounted for approximately 63% of notices.

3. Enforcement Timelines Are Shorter

Pre-COVID notices sometimes involved writs that had remained outstanding for many years. By 2026, most active notices in the review referenced writs dated 2023 or later, and many originated in 2024 or 2025.

This indicates that recent defaults can now move toward a public sale notice much faster than homeowners may expect.

4. Enforcement Is Province-Wide

The notices are no longer concentrated only in central Toronto. The dataset includes Ottawa, Brampton, Vaughan, Guelph, London, Markham, Hamilton, Thunder Bay, Oakville, Windsor, Kitchener, Ajax, Niagara Falls, Barrie, Burlington, and other Ontario communities.

“A homeowner can be current on the mortgage and still face a forced sale because of a separate court judgment from an unsecured creditor. That is the hidden risk this research brings to light.”

“The most concerning finding is the shorter timeline. Recent writs are already appearing in public sale notices, while annual volume continues to set new highs.”

Context: A Broader Debt Crisis

The Sheriff’s Sale trend exists alongside historically elevated consumer insolvencies, growing homeowner vulnerability, high non-mortgage debt, and lower property values in parts of Ontario.

CAIRP reported 140,457 Canadian consumer insolvencies in 2025—the highest annual volume since 2009. Separate Ontario insolvency research found that homeowners represented 8% of filings in 2025, up from 5% a year earlier.

Why Creditors May Be Moving Faster

Falling home values have changed the calculation

When property values are increasing, creditors may be willing to leave writs outstanding while equity grows. When values fall, waiting can reduce the equity available to satisfy a judgment.

Refinancing has become more difficult

Some homeowners previously resolved writs by refinancing and paying the creditor from available equity. Reduced equity and tighter qualification requirements can make that solution harder to obtain.

Older delayed files and newer defaults overlap

Files delayed during the pandemic returned to the system at the same time as defaults associated with the 2022–2024 rate cycle, contributing to sustained notice volume.

Why This Trend Has Received Limited Attention

Mortgage power-of-sale proceedings are widely tracked through real-estate databases. Sheriff’s Sales are instead published in individual issues of the Ontario Gazette and are not compiled in the same commercial databases, making the overall trend less visible.

Learn more about Sheriff’s Sales in Ontario

About Litvack Group Inc.

Litvack Group Inc. is a Licensed Insolvency Trustee practice helping individuals across Ontario understand consumer proposals, personal bankruptcy, and other debt-relief options. Initial consultations are confidential and free.

Media Contact

Bryan Litvack
Litvack Group Inc.
bryan@litvackgroup.ca
(647) 946-1737

Available for phone, video, and television interviews.

Available Upon Request

• Full 2016–2026 Ontario Gazette Sheriff’s Sale research dataset
• Regional breakdown of notices by Ontario community
• Creditor breakdown by institution and year
• Interview with Bryan Litvack, Licensed Insolvency Trustee
• Plain-language comparison of a Sheriff’s Sale and mortgage power of sale