John Hof and six other B.C. families have grudgingly agreed to pay their outstanding court costs to Everywoman’s Health Clinic.
The costs have been outstanding since 1990 when Hof and the families refused to pay the costs, as ordered by the B.C. Court of Appeal saying it would be in violation of their consciences.
Nothing happened until December 1993 when the Everywoman abortion centre obtained a lien on the properties of the families. In doing so, the abortion centre legally possessed 50 per cent of the value of these homes and could force the families to sell to collect this value.
The seven families consulted lawyers but found there was little they could do to block the lien. Several of them also met with Archbishop Adam Exner to discuss their quandary. The Archbishop told them that since they were going to pay either out of their pockets or with their houses, then they had no alternative. By clearing their expenses and saving their homes, they would not be in violation of their consciences.
A disheartened Hof told The Interim he did everything in his power to avoid paying the costs but, in the end, they were cornered. He also said, “Even after the liens were in place, we were still undecided as to whether we should pay. What they did was entirely legal but I do feel uneasy about giving money to an abortuary.”
Hof said a local pro-lifer has fronted the $45,000 and his group will attempt to raise money locally to repay the donor.
