There is a one-year limitation period within which defamation claims must ordinarily be brought to court. In addition, there is the possibility of a court-ordered extension of the limitation period to a maximum of three years where the court is satisfied that it was not reasonable for the plaintiff to have commenced proceedings within the one-year limitation period (Rolph, 2008). A horrible example occurred in Vancouver, when a young couple purchased a house from Robert John Real Estate Co., for $78,000. Three months later, they tried to get a loan on the house, but there was no record of them owning it. Brenda Hill, the young should-be home-owner, went door to door in the subdivision after failing to get in contact with Robert John, and searched
