Independent legal advice crucial in title insurance purchase

by admin | Dec 24, 2011 | 2011 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Should Ontario consumers always have the benefit of independent legal advice when they obtain title insurance for their real estate purchases? That topic became the subject of intense debate among industry stakeholders earlier this month when...

When a detached home is not a detached home

by admin | Dec 10, 2011 | 2011 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca When you’re selling a house known as a link-semi, is it wrong to advertise it as a detached home? The link house style was popular in Toronto in the 1970s and 1980s. The only physical attachment that joins two adjacent houses typically consists...

Revised purchase agreement could ease “sticker shock”

by admin | Nov 26, 2011 | 2011 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca In a landmark consumer protection initiative, the Tarion Warranty Corp. has proposed a requirement that builder purchase agreements set out in one place all the extras that can be added to the price of a new home. (Tarion regulates the...

Manitoba simplifies seller disclosure form

by admin | Nov 12, 2011 | 2011 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca The seller property disclosure statement remains a hot topic in the real estate community as Manitoba has now made them compulsory, while Britain has gone in the other direction to repeal the law requiring them in every transaction. Effective...

Turf war over who names the neighbourhoods

by admin | Oct 29, 2011 | 2011 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Toronto residents who are proud to live in areas such as Harbourfront, Davisville Village, Leslieville, Chaplin Estates, Hogg’s Hollow and Corktown are bound to be disappointed to learn that their neighbourhood names have been wiped off the map...

Document your possessions in the event insurance claim is necessary

by admin | Oct 15, 2011 | 2011 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca A court case that went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada highlights the importance of homeowners keeping accurate records of their possessions in the event an insurance claim becomes necessary. Back in 1997, a fire destroyed the luxury...