Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca August 19, 2006 Greedy consumers fuelled mortgage scam It was a very enticing sales pitch. “Imagine,” it went, “if you never had to make a mortgage payment again. Imagine if you were able to eliminate the single biggest expense in your life and own your home free and clear. It’s possible.” With […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca August 12, 2006 Parental gift up for grabs in divorce Courts often rule spouse gets share Matrimonial home must be divided With the phenomenal increase in housing costs in recent years, more and more singles and couples are looking to their parents for financial help in buying a house or cottage. A […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca August 5, 2006 Be careful buying nearly new home Buyer exposed to risk of paying seller’s taxes Insist on clause offering credit for unpaid amounts My client Rena was very excited about closing on her low-rise condominium townhouse in Toronto’s Liberty Village development last month, but she wasn’t prepared to get stuck […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca July 29, 2006 Why risk court appeal? Just change the law Homeowners need protection now from title fraud artists Last week’s decision by the Ontario government to intervene in the case of an innocent homeowner who had her house title stolen represents a calculated risk by the province, which could backfire if […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca July 22, 2006 Leaky condo lawsuit offers lessons for all When former MP and journalist Simma Holt bought a Port Moody, B.C., condo back in early 1999, she had no idea that the purchase of her modest retirement home would result in years of litigation against her real estate agent. The case […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca July 15, 2006 Results can be costly if contract is not specific An Ontario Superior Court decision released earlier this year provides a textbook example of how and how not to prepare a home renovation contract. Maureen Chung and Geoffrey Jackson operate a renovation business in the Toronto area. In early 2004, […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca July 8, 2006 Take smoking ban inside the home Now that Ontario has introduced a province-wide ban on smoking in all enclosed public places and workplaces, it may be time to consider protecting residents of condominiums, multi-unit homes, attached and semi-detached dwellings and apartments from second-hand smoke originating in adjacent or nearby […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca July 1, 2006 Lawyers play key role in buyer protection Paperwork is just small part of job Title insurance now standard Many Ontarians have jumped into the busy real estate market without fully appreciating the legal dimensions of homebuying or the critical role that a real estate lawyer plays in protecting them. […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca June 24, 2006 Condo buyers’ class-action suit bears watching < A group of unhappy condominium owners has commenced a class action against the developer of their Thornhill condominium project, claiming that the common expenses shown in the sales materials were significantly understated. Between 1999 and 2002, Cantertrot Investments (an H&R project) was […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca June 17, 2006 Learn about future use of nearby land Buyer beware of plans for area Neighbourhood can easily change For many purchasers, the use of neighbouring properties is almost as important as the land on which their new homes are built. An email I received last week underlines how important it […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca June 10, 2006 Toronto subject to native land claim Indians say 1787 land surrender was invalidGovernment will bail us out with our own money So you think you have good title to your home in Toronto? Think again. When I wrote about the legal implications of the Caledonia native land dispute in […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca June 3, 2006 Top 10 things to beware of when buying resale Buying a resale home may seem deceptively simple since it is common practice to use an industry-approved form offer and pop in a few "standard" conditions like mortgage financing and home inspection. Based on my experience with thousands of transactions […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca May 27, 2006 Tough to reconcile Caledonia land dispute In the wake of the recent events at the Douglas Creek Estates subdivision near Caledonia, will any Ontario citizen be able to rely on a government certification of title to their homes? Can Ontario citizens continue to have confidence in our justice system […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca May 20, 2006 Ministry’s ‘clarification’ a tax grab Significant de facto increase in land transfer tax Did the Ontario government increase the land transfer tax in March, or did it simply clarify the interpretation of the Land Transfer Tax Act so that buyers of new homes will be paying more tax on […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca May 13, 2006 How new GST will affect homebuyers Rate reduced from 7 to 6 per cent this July 1 Maximum rebate will drop from $8,750 to $7,560 It’s easy to say that the goods and services tax is being reduced from 7 per cent to 6 per cent on Canada Day, […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca May 6, 2006 Ontario hikes land transfer tax on new houses Buyers will pay on total, not base, price My dictionary defines “grinch” as one who spoils the pleasure of others. The derivation, of course, is the principal character in the Dr. Seuss classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. That definition might […]
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca April 29, 2006 Finders not keepers in real estate deals A Quebec judge has written the final chapter in the case of the $100,000 in cash found in a house once owned by a missing member of a biker gang. It all started last June when a couple in Trois-Rivi res, Que., […]
Durham Region Police 2006 Grow-Ops (pdf download)
Toronto Police Service - 2005-6 Scarborough grow houses (pdf download)
Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca April 22, 2006 House title thieves can wreak havoc Fraudulently signed mortgage can be valid, court rules Homeowners can face eviction, huge legal bills When the Ontario Court of Appeal decided last November that a forged power of attorney could be used to create a valid mortgage, it fundamentally changed the law […]