Tarion needs to increase homebuyers deposit protection

by admin | Sep 10, 2016 | 2016 Toronto Star Property Law Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Tarion’s limit for deposit protection — $20,000 on condos and $40,000 on homes — hasn’t changed in years. An interim report on the Tarion warranty corporation should have gone further to protect home buyers’ purchase deposits. Special adviser J....

Extravagant fees crush legal basement apartments

by admin | Aug 27, 2016 | 2016 Toronto Star Property Law Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Over-charging homeowners to help intensify urban housing defeats the purpose. In the face of a serious housing shortage in the GTA, the City of Toronto is actively discouraging homeowners from legally adding one or two units to their houses by...

Tenants shouldn’t be able to ‘game the system’

by admin | Jul 30, 2016 | 2016 Toronto Star Property Law Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Too many renters are getting away with not paying rent, then appealing eviction orders. How many times do Ontario judges have to cry out for changes to the landlord and tenant court procedure to prevent tenants from “gaming the system” before...

Dangerous real-estate document a path to court

by admin | Jul 16, 2016 | 2016 Toronto Star Property Law Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Since 1997, 94 court cases in Ontario have been pinned to the Seller Property Information Statement. The Seller Property Information Statement (SPIS) continues to be the single most dangerous document in current use in the real estate market....

EasyFund could have difficulty getting off the ground

by admin | Jul 2, 2016 | 2016 Toronto Star Property Law Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Web-based money transfer system’s goal is to streamline real-estate closings. But is it needed? Will home buyers willingly pay an extra $148 to help lawyers close their purchase transactions? The question arises in the wake of the launch by...

Builder bankruptcy reveals warranty shortcomings

by admin | Jun 18, 2016 | 2016 Toronto Star Property Law Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Tarion warranties need to be improved, and a forthcoming report on improving consumer protections should address delayed occupancy compensation The recent insolvency of the Urbancorp builder group, and its impact on hundreds of would-be home...