Real Estate Litigation Articles

It’s time to change law to protect consumers who buy pre-construction homes from builders who do not own the land they are built on, says Bob Aaron. Gary Howard and Julia Niblett signed an agreement in 2015 to buy a house to be built by a company operating as Above...

“Why would anyone pursue seemingly hopeless litigation over the right of way to a mutual driveway?” wonders Bob Aaron. This is the story of a $150,000 driveway. Hayley Fromstein and James Albiez own a house on Northcliffe Blvd. in Toronto. Their neighbour to the south...

Why resort to the courts when a transaction involving a sale of a house falls through? This case shows it can be unnecessarily costly, says Bob Aaron. Is it worth taking someone to court over a failed house purchase, assuming there appear to be grounds to do so? A...

Along comes complicated federal Underused Housing Tax, just as property owners are busy filing returns for the city’s vacant unit tax, says Bob Aaron. As if property owners in Toronto didn’t have their hands full filing returns for the City’s vacant unit tax, along...

Empty homes face tax of one per cent of provincial assessment, but some do not, writes Bob Aaron. The deadline for declarations has been extended. The City of Toronto vacant home tax has caught many owners by surprise, and understanding all of the available exemptions...

Instance of money being found in Bracebridge, Ont., focuses issue of unclaimed property in Ontario. It’s not always finders keepers, says Bob Aaron. When I heard that the Ontario Provincial Police in Bracebridge were looking for the owner of “a significant amount of...

The 1 per cent charge on homes that go unoccupied for more than 6 months of the previous year is still a work in progress, write Bob Aaron. The City of Toronto’s new Vacant Home Tax is now in effect on Toronto residences. With certain exemptions, the tax applies to...

The new annual tax kicks in on January 1 and home buyers should be vigilant to avoid being on the hook for penalties of up to $10,000. Toronto’s new annual tax on vacant residences kicks in on January 1, and it will have a significant impact on how real estate...

The old legal principle of ‘equitable conversion’ gives the buyer ownership once both sides have signed the deal, writes Bob Aaron. A compelling situation was raised in a Facebook group for real estate professionals last month by a realtor in Mississauga. The...

The plan to begin mandatory public listings of homes for sale on Jan. 1 will now be put to a vote at the next annual general meeting, writes Bob Aaron. In the wake of a torrent of negative feedback, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) has suspended its new...