OREA is up to date with 1980s technology

by admin | Oct 2, 2010 | 2010 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Virtually all agreements of purchase and sale for homes or condominiums in Ontario are prepared on standard forms published by the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA). Unfortunately, those forms have a great number of shortcomings which do...

Undisclosed costs can really add up

by admin | Sep 18, 2010 | 2010 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca It s hard to think of any consumer purchase contract where the price on the front page is not the full purchase price, where additional charges are unlimited, and where the seller has no legal obligation to make full disclosure of extra charges...

City bylaw leaves permits up to homeowners

by admin | Sep 4, 2010 | 2010 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca In many parts of the City of Toronto, houses were built so close together that when one owner wanted to repair or improve one side of his or her house, it was often necessary to access a neighbour’s property. That was the concern of my client...

Mortgage fraud fallout working way through courts

by admin | Aug 21, 2010 | 2010 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Mortgage fraud may no longer be on the front pages, but the fallout from hundreds of past fraud cases is still wending its way through Ontario courts. The most recent decision in this area of law was released in June by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and...

Lawyer not obligated to negotiate better purchase agreement

by admin | Aug 7, 2010 | 2010 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca When a lawyer is presented with an unconditional but obviously defective agreement of purchase and sale by a client, does he or she have an obligation to try to negotiate an improvement to its terms? That was the question for the court to decide...

Toronto’s building department operations are neither open nor transparent

by admin | Jul 24, 2010 | 2010 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Before closing the purchase of their home, Pierre Marcoux and Caroline Bougie discovered the City of Toronto building department had an open file on the house. They wanted the seller, Darlene Remlinger, to rectify the situation by having the...