Our strange mix of using both Imperial and metric systems is hard to fathom by any measure, writes Bob Aaron. As Britain prepared to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to announce the country’s return to...
2022 Toronto Star Property Law Columns
A ‘believe it or not’ home insurance case in Superior Court
Superior Court justice compares events to Ripley’s iconic tagline in his decision on litigation, writes Bob Aaron A court case involving the appraisal of a fire loss on a Toronto home was described in a Superior Court ruling last month as a Ripley’s Believe It or Not...
Budget ’22 may rattle the resale of pre-built condos
Property speculation is targeted in the recent federal budget and has the potential to cause upheaval, writes Bob Aaron. The 2022 federal budget has the potential to create a huge upheaval in the market for pre-construction condominiums. The government plans to reduce...
Prevent condo cancellations with penalties against builders and better support for buyers
The Ontario government wants public input about how to stop developments from being cancelled. Now’s your chance to speak up, writes Bob Aaron. The issue of condominium project cancellations is the subject of a public consultation by the provincial government. This...
A growing and risky trend in pre-construction purchases is raising red flags
Buyers who gamble on flipping their purchase deals may be in financial trouble if the move is denied and they’re forced to close, writes Bob Aaron. Toronto real estate lawyer Mark Morris has raised a red flag over growing numbers of pre-construction buyers who are...
A property survey could have prevented these homeowners from ending up in court
The issue of a garage built partially on a neighbour’s property was resolved under an obscure law, writes Bob Aaron. What happens if you build part of your house, cottage or garage on your neighbour’s land and your neighbour wants it removed? That’s what happened not...
Judge finds unwise use of smart doorbell in condominium
An Alberta court decision last month provides a useful lesson about how living in a condominium complex requires tolerance — and sometimes the compromise of deeply-held views and principles. Lillian Lupuliak is the owner of a residential condominium unit in Calgary....
A new home speculation tax would harm, not help the real estate market
Home prices would plummet, as they did with the new levy in ’74. I vividly recall that the housing market crashed overnight, writes Bob Aaron. My award for the worst real estate idea of the year — possibly the decade — goes to Toronto city council for approving a...
Hike in real estate transaction fee sparks lawsuit
The price increase by a software provider has been met with a class action while homebuyers face paying the extra cost. A sudden price increase by a supplier of software programs to real estate lawyers last month will cost many homebuyers an additional $135 (including...
Social housing was Jon Harstone’s passion
He was a successful advocate of affordable homes in Toronto. And he was part of my family. With the passing of Jon Harstone at age 71 on New Year’s Day, Toronto lost one of its most successful and dedicated advocates of social housing. Jon was a close member of my...
Court supports home buyers after purchase deals cancelled
An Ontario Superior Court justice blocks the resale of pre-construction homes and orders the case to arbitration, writes Bob Aaron. An important decision of the Ontario Superior Court may offer hope to buyers of pre-construction Ontario homes and condominiums who have...