Does century-old murder still haunt Massey house?

by admin | Oct 26, 2013 | 2013 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Sensational slaying created headlines but, a century later, questions arise whether buyers should be warned In the real estate field, when the value of a house might be affected by a history of murder, suicide, ghosts, hauntings or other...

Land survey outlines what’s really yours

by admin | Sep 28, 2013 | 2013 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Get the details of property you’re buying in all-important survey I think it’s time that a land survey be made a compulsory part of every real estate transaction. It baffles me why a clause to that effect is not a part of the standard form...

Homeowner in deep end thanks to old survey

by admin | Sep 14, 2013 | 2013 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca When a judge ordered Kenneth Sorensen to move his in-ground swimming pool, I can only imagine it spoiled his whole day. The story began sometime before Sorensen bought 288 Raven Dr., in Kelowna, B.C., in 2007, and his neighbours, Olutoyese and...

Court finds open building permit is fatal title flaw

by admin | Aug 17, 2013 | 2013 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Title insurance and funds holdback to sign off on permit will allow deal to close Two recent decisions of the Ontario Superior Court have determined that an open municipal building permit — where the city has not closed its file — constitutes a...

Floor-by-floor sales venture would work better as a condo property

by admin | Aug 3, 2013 | 2013 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Too many legal sinkholes in real estate proposal My nomination for the the most oddball real estate scheme of the year is last week’s proposal by Larry Chilton and his real estate broker to sell separate floors of his Victorian rooming house...

Cellar flood among wave of lawsuits from disclosure form

by admin | Jul 20, 2013 | 2013 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Seller Property Information Statement has prompted over 200 court cases since 1997 In the wake of widespread flooding in Toronto last week, I’ve had a number of phone calls and emails from people trying to sell their properties. They ask about...