Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca December 30, 2006 In 2006, title fraud top real estate story Looking back on 2006, there can be no doubt that the real estate story of the year was title fraud. No other issue in this field seemed to fascinate and horrify the public as the victims’ plight. It was bad enough […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca December 23, 2006 ‘Tis the season when many of us bless our homes For Christians the world over, Christmas is a time of celebration which is often centred on the home. Many religions recognize the home is so important that special ceremonies have arisen over the centuries to bless and consecrate it […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca December 16, 2006 Your castle isn’t always a fortress It has often been said that a man’s home is his castle, but is it really? Just how much privacy is a citizen entitled to enjoy in his or her home, and what rights does the state or anyone else have to interfere […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca December 9, 2006 Buyer beware when it comes to deposits What happens when you sign an agreement to buy a house from a builder but later change your mind? That was the question an Ontario court had to deal with in a case heard earlier this year. On Sept. 15, 2003, Shanker […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca December 9, 2006 Buyer beware when it comes to deposits What happens when you sign an agreement to buy a house from a builder but later change your mind? That was the question an Ontario court had to deal with in a case heard earlier this year. On Sept. 15, 2003, Shanker […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca December 2, 2006 Real estate deals don’t belong in court Step encroachment doesn’t constitute grounds to cancel this sale agreement If the buyers of a house find out after signing the purchase agreement that the front steps encroach on the city road allowance, can they back out of the deal? That was […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 25, 2006 Beware the tiny, turgid prose of the offer Once upon a time, it was possible to buy a condominium unit from a Toronto-area builder before construction, and rely on the agreement of purchase and sale to determine all of the extras that the builder would add on to the […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 18, 2006 Sister’s signature forged in sale When Sharon Dunford’s mother died in June 2000, she bequeathed the family home on Russell Ave. in St. Catharines to Dunford and her sister equally. At the time, it was worth about $80,000. The will provided that Dunford’s sister could live in the house […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 11, 2006 Fraud victims deserve quicker compensation In the past few weeks, I have received dozens of letters, emails and faxes proposing solutions to what Justice Randall Echlin, in an Ontario court decision late last month, called “a serious mortgage fraud plague.” Virtually all of the suggestions propose some sort of […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 4, 2006 Disclosure: It’s seller beware Very difficult for homeowners to answer questions Litigation more likely if forms used during transaction I stirred up a storm of controversy with my Title Page column about property disclosure forms two weeks ago. In this space on Oct. 21, I discussed the Seller Property […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca October 28, 2006 Title fraud bill faces troubled future Homeowners still at risk Doesn’t provide reasonable costs Government Services Minister Gerry Phillips has introduced a bill that is intended to ensure that ownership of a property cannot be lost as a result of the registration of a falsified mortgage, fraudulent sale or […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca October 21, 2006 Beware of signing disclosure forms Difficult queries beyond scope of most homeowners Statement dredges up increase in problems, disputes One of the most controversial forms used in the real estate field today is the Seller Property Information Statement (SPIS) distributed to its members by the Ontario Real Estate Association […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca October 14, 2006 Make land survey part of any deal Does title insurance eliminate the need for a land survey? When Joe and Gloria signed an agreement to buy their house in Scarborough this summer, their real estate agent inserted this clause in the document: "Seller agrees to provide at his own […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca October 7, 2006 Title theft issue strikes emotional chord Last week’s Title Page column, in which I compared Ontario’s proposed solution to the title theft problem with recent legislation in British Columbia, has produced a storm of reader reaction, most of it passionate. About half of the many emails I received favour […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 30, 2006 No correct answer or easy solution to title fraud dilemma The governments of Ontario and British Columbia have taken directly opposite positions on how to protect the public from title fraudsters. Earlier this month, Ontario Government Services Minister Gerry Phillips announced that he would introduce legislation to restore ownership […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 23, 2006 A moving experience: couple picked up and left In bizarre case of title fraud, they stole the house Two lenders turned to courts to decide complex case Title fraud is in the news a lot lately, with stories of unfortunate homeowners having the title to their houses stolen […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 16, 2006 Draft fraud law ignores innocent buyer Last week’s announcement by Government Services Minister Gerry Phillips that he intends to introduce a law to curb mortgage fraud will result in a major overhaul of Ontario’s land registration system. Unfortunately, the changes could also create far more problems than they would […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 9, 2006 ‘Tainted’ houses can be ‘scary,’ complex issue Buying and living in a house which was the scene of a murder or suicide is not everyone’s cup of tea, but for some people, living in a tainted house is simply not an issue. Last month, the would-be buyer of the […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 2, 2006 Fraud, forgery alleged in mortgage scheme Mississauga man faces charges Complex property flips probed by RCMP A Mississauga man has been arrested and charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000 and two counts of uttering forged documents in relation to mortgages obtained in 2001 on a property […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca August 26, 2006 Independent legal advice is for real A recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court underlines the purpose of a borrower obtaining independent legal advice, and what a client can and cannot expect from a lawyer in those circumstances. In 1998, Jean Webb agreed to lend her ex-husband, Reg Webb, […]