Why electronic voting is clicking with condo owners

by admin | Oct 25, 2019 | 2019 Toronto Star Property Law Column, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca An easy solution to the problem of owner apathy in condominium buildings, and a simple way to encourage interest and participation, is to introduce electronic voting. Back in November, 2017, the Condominium Act was amended to allow electronic...

City sending mixed signals on tackling housing shortage

by admin | Oct 15, 2019 | 2019 Toronto Star Property Law Column, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca If the city of Toronto was serious about tackling the housing shortage, why would it charge Toronto homeowners $300,000 to legalize three bachelor apartments in their house? Patrick and Susan own a three-storey home in central Toronto. In 2001,...

Boundary dispute dissolves a purchase deal

by admin | Sep 27, 2019 | 2019 Toronto Star Property Law Column, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca When homebuyers discover before closing that the sellers are involved in boundary litigation with their neighbours, are they obliged to close the deal? And when buyers discover that the land being purchased is smaller on paper than it appears on...

Blaze reveals why bargain hunting for property insurance is playing with fire

by admin | Sep 13, 2019 | 2019 Toronto Star Property Law Column, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca There’s nothing like having your property burn to the ground to focus your attention on the need for good property insurance. Three years ago, my business partners Ben and Jill, and my wife Dorothy and I, purchased a $230,000 triplex in a small...

Pre-construction contracts don’t leave wiggle room for market drops

by admin | Sep 6, 2019 | 2019 Toronto Star Property Law Column, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca In today’s real estate market, it’s not unusual for new home buyers to find themselves in a dilemma. One situation can be that the value of the pre-construction house drops below the contract purchase price, and they cannot get enough mortgage...

Does First Canadian Title Live Up to it’s Marketing Promises?

by admin | Aug 17, 2019 | 2019 Toronto Star Property Law Column, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Property owner stuck with $25,000 in court costs over cottage’s pre-existing issues Will a title insurance policy protect a buyer when the house has a serious construction deficiency making it unsafe and unmarketable to a future buyer? That was...