Real Estate Litigation Articles

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 24,2007 We need an open, comprehensive grow-op list Two weeks ago in this column, I asked whether listing agents should be required to disclose that a home was, or might have been, a marijuana grow operation, or whether they should...

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 17,2007 ‘Miller bite’ hangover probably won’t drive buyers out of the city Some industry stakeholders are predicting there will be a rush to buy houses in the 905 area code when the new Toronto land transfer tax goes into effect on Feb....

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 10,2007 Is it right for agents to turn a blind eye to signs of grow-op? Fred and Ginger (not their real names, of course) are looking for a Toronto home within their budget. They thought they had found the ideal house in the Kennedy...

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 3,2007 Buyer beware if you want that GST rebate With the GST falling again from 6 per cent to 5 per cent buyers of new homes should be warned about a practice some builders have employed to scoop the purchasers’ transitional rebates....

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 3, 2007 Federal tax cut already in effect New homes bought since Oct. 30, 2007 eligible for 5 per cent GST rate While the GST officially won’t drop from 6 per cent to 5 per cent until Jan. 1, 2008, the new rate is already in effect for...

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca October 27,2007 New home worthless, assessor rules An interesting decision of the Assessment Review Board last year may be the first Ontario case in which the value of a new home was assessed at zero dollars for tax purposes. As well, it could...

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca October 20,2007 ‘Effluent society’ can’t afford to flush ‘n’ forget When we flush the toilets in our homes, few of us ever give any thought to the process. It’s a routine motion that banishes waste and ensures cleanliness. Routine, that is,...

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca October 13,2007 The worth of an emailed signature lost in legislation Why is it possible to buy and sell real estate by faxing agreements, but not by email? That’s the question asked by Hamilton real estate lawyer Larry Bremner of Gowling...

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca October 6,2007 It’s best not to combine mortgage, line of credit Beware of loans tied to ‘real’ mortgage After Nathaniel and Danielle signed a contract to buy their Toronto dream home for $450,000, they contacted a mortgage officer at their bank...

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 29, 2007 Renovation project calls for a written deal The Ontario Court of Appeal has written the final chapter in what could easily be called the case of the “renovation from hell.” It all began in early 2004 when Arik and Olga Idan...