Hudson’s Bay is returning its former stores to landlords, effectively ending B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu’s fight to take over the collapsed retailer’s leases.

Franco Perugini, HBC's senior vice-president of real estate and legal, said in a Monday email to The Canadian Press that the company is disclaiming the leases it had for 25 properties Liu tried to buy.

A disclaimer is a legal mechanism that ends a lease before it expires and thus, releases the tenant from obligations like paying rent or maintaining the property.

As long as no landlord objects to the disclaimer, Perugini says the HBC leases will be terminated Nov. 27.

B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu obtained the leases to former Hudson's Bay locations at malls that she owned — but lost a protracted court battle to take over dozens more.

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