Families, students hurt by municipal licensing bylaws

by admin | Jun 9, 2012 | 2012 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Compulsory licensing for small landlords is rapidly spreading throughout Ontario, having come into effect most recently in Waterloo on April 1 and North Bay on May 1. Other Ontario cities which have already implemented a licensing regime are...

SPIS information statements dangerous for all

by admin | May 26, 2012 | 2012 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Court of Appeal has written what may be the final chapter in a case involving a couple who unknowingly purchased a home requiring extensive repairs to make it comply with the Ontario Building Code. The Ontario Court of Appeal has written what...

The parrot is really a red herring

by admin | May 12, 2012 | 2012 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Toronto real estate law guru Jeffrey Lem has a knack for making court cases both entertaining and educational at the same time. His latest effort, which appeared in the Law Times last month, is about the $40,000 parrot. Although the bird, which...

Buying a cottage unlike other real estate transactions

by admin | Apr 28, 2012 | 2012 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca The beginning of the cottage season is a good opportunity for a reminder that recreational real estate transactions are unlike any other property dealings. “And sellers aren’t just disposing of real estate; they’re parting with memories,...

TREB’s fear-mongering hurts its arguments against the Competition Bureau

by admin | Apr 14, 2012 | 2012 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca There are many good reasons to support the Toronto Real Estate Board in its battle with the federal Competition Bureau. After all, TREB created the Multiple Listing Service, investing millions of dollars in its operation, and now the competition...

Basement apartments are a minefield for the uninformed

by admin | Mar 31, 2012 | 2012 Toronto Star Columns, Toronto Star Property Law Columns

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca My column on basement apartments earlier this month (http://aaron.ca/columns/2012-03-17.htm)  seems to have touched a nerve among homeowners and real estate agents, many of whom sent me emails. The message in the column was that simply using the...