Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca October 5 2002 Country dream washed away                 Couple’s home was built on top of underground river From a legal point of view, there are important differences between buying a home in the city and buying a place to live in the country. For the most part, buyers of city properties do […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 28 2002 Turns out strange smell was due to straw builder hadn’t cleaned up Last fall I wrote in this column about a smelly cellar flood we had in our house when the sewer backed up due to blockage from tree roots. That column produced an interesting response from a reader […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 28 2002 How homebuyer protection could be improved It would be an understatement to say that Greater Toronto Home Builders’ Association president Sheldon Libfeld didn’t like what I wrote about the Ontario New Home Warranty Program in my Sept. 7 column, Home warranty program behind the times (online at http://www.aaron.ca). In […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 14 2002 eBay clicks with real estate Auction site’s foray into house market adds competition The face of the Canadian real estate market is poised for change with the launch of a new category on eBay, one of the world’s largest online marketplaces. With this move into cyberspace real estate, buyers […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 7 2002 Home warranty program behind the times Alberta Plan and U.S. proposal boost buyer protection In his Bricks & Sticks column in this section two weeks ago, Sheldon Libfeld, president of the Greater Toronto Home Builders Association (GTHBA) strongly defended the warranty protection offered to new home and condominium buyers […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca August 31, 2002 Residents heated up over transformer boxes   Walk down the streets of any reasonably new residential subdivision and every block or so you will come upon a large green metal box, three or four feet square. These are the hydro transformer boxes, installed to step down the high voltage […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca August 24, 2002 In praise of caring builders Some go the extra mile to fix buyers’ problems Last week’s Title Page column told the story of Mark, the buyer of a $500,000 Thornhill home who received shoddy treatment at the hands of his builder. Among the faxes and e-mails I received in […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca August 17 2002 Why should buyer have to wait for service New owner’s story a lesson in how not to treat customers Mark is an unhappy purchaser of a new $500,000 Thornhill home. His story dramatically shows some of the weaknesses in the system when it comes to customer service and the […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca August 10 2002 There’s no place for racism in real estate   The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), the body that regulates the conduct of real estate agents, has served notice on Ontario brokers and agents that it will not tolerate racial or religious discrimination within the real estate industry. The […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca August 3, 2002 Don’t be rattled by fixtures vs. chattels Cottage buyer thought docks were part of deal An interesting e-mail received from a reader last week highlights one of the perils of buying cottage property. At the same time, it underlines the important difference between fixtures and chattels when it comes […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca July 27, 2002 Study shows mortgage renewers a loyal bunch Majority of repeat buyers stick with original lender Where do Canadian consumers look to get information about mortgage loans? Do they make full use of all the available information sources? Do borrowers shop around for mortgage loans or just accept the first […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca July 20, 2002 Squeaky wheels get after-sales results   Of all the mail and e-mail I receive from Star readers, by far the greatest amount deals with workmanship issues and uncompleted items in new homes and condominiums by a small number of local builders. Most of these letters relate in some detail […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca July 13, 2002 Controversial Ottawa house has new owner Home built too close to road may have to be moved back   Unlike the concrete jungle which borders the Toronto waterfront, the waterways of Ottawa are lined with more than 40 km of scenic parkway which offers wonderful cultural landscapes for the […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca July 6, 2002 Homeowner lost legal suit over mould House was filled with 50 live potted plants covering every available space   Very soon after Stella Derosa moved into her condominium townhouse in Kamloops, B.C., in 1997, she began to wheeze and suffer from an extreme shortness of breath. By early 1999, […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca June 29, 2002 Agents, broker face fines in double-offer sale scheme The Real Estate Council of Ontario has put Ontario’s real estate agents and brokers on notice that if they participate in schemes to inflate the purchase price of property to secure financing, they are going to get caught and the penalties […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca June 29, 2002 Loyalty programs could be illegalFrequent buyer plans violate obsolete sections of Criminal Code, professor argues Whenever I buy something for the house, the office or the car, whenever I shop in a drug store, Canadian Tire or a fast-food franchise, the chances are better than even that I’m participating […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca June 8, 2002 Cottage purchases deserve due diligence Too casual an attitude can create expensive problems later When it comes to city properties, homeowners are usually very careful about protecting their driveways, fences and boundaries. But the same people who are so particular about property rights in the city are frequently very […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca June 6, 2002 Ask a Lawyer   Q In our condo, the board has rules that forbid fast-food delivery people from going upstairs to units. Instead, they call from downstairs and tenants must go down to pick up the order. The board claims this is for reasons of security. Can it do […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca May 25, 2002 Paralegal proposal a recipe for havoc Non-lawyers may soon handle real estate sales Last month, the Law Society, the Ontario Bar Association and a paralegal group announced an agreement on a plan to regulate the province’s independent paralegal industry. In last week’s Title Page column, I suggested the agreement […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca May 18, 2002 Lawyers governing paralegals: recipe for disaster Long-standing hostility between two groups doesn’t bode well The much-heralded agreement among various legal and paralegal organizations to regulate the province’s paralegal industry stands little chance of being implemented because the key player in the proposal the Ontario government was not represented at […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca May 4, 2002 Builder offers can conceal surprises Make sure your lawyer checks it out Despite constant advice from lawyers, real estate agents and the Greater Toronto Home Builders’ Association, a significant number of new home and condominium buyers never get their agreements of purchase and sale reviewed by a lawyer before […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca April 20, 2002 Tenant-homeowner tax inequity must stop Renters in Ontario pay four times more property taxes Most Ontario homeowners are likely unaware of it, but their property taxes are being heavily subsidized by tenants in multi-unit buildings. For decades, most Ontario municipalities have taxed multi-residential tenants at rates higher than those […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca April 13, 2002 Fraudulent title transfer takes costly toll Owner, title insurance company out money When Isabel Simoes went with her husband, Laurenio, on a family visit in Portugal in the fall of 2000, she had no idea it would be the beginning of a nightmare that would hang over her family […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca April 4, 2002 Oklahoma flip tosses lawyer Properties simultaneously purchased, flipped but mortgage lender wasn’t told The Law Society of Upper Canada has sent a clear message to the legal profession that lawyers who participate in real estate flip transactions without making full disclosure of the facts to all parties, particularly the […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca March 23, 2002 New York real estate still strong after Sept. 11   I suppose the main reason I went to New York City for a few days last month was to see the site of the World Trade Center, but I have always found the city to be an exciting place […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca March 16, 2002 Nightmare ending for victims of fraud Assurance Fund pays some costs but no money for business losses Ontario’s deputy director of titles has just released a written decision that marks the end of the Durrani family’s horrendous nightmare with the title to their home on Gilroy Dr. in Scarborough. […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca March 9, 2002 Title fraud costs taxpayers Bank losses, legal fees covered by government fund Ontario’s deputy director of titles has released a series of decisions ordering rectification of five property titles taken by fraud artists, and re-registration of the same number of fraudulently discharged mortgages. In addition, the Land Titles Assurance […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca March 2, 2002 Inspect home before listing to correct any minor flaws Unhappy buyers backed out of $1.5 million deal When an offer to purchase is conditional on home inspection, does the home purchaser have to act honestly and reasonably if he or she wants to get out of the deal? Or […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca February 23, 2002 Property title fraud strikes a nerve Recent case horrifies readers who wonder why it was so easy Is the scam behind the fraudulent transfers of titles to five Richmond Hill homes part of a much larger operation involving properties all over the Greater Toronto area? Why is it seemingly […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca February 16, 2002 Home office tax breaks Montreal doctor wins right to deduct costs of second office in house If you are self-employed, can you deduct home-office expenses from your taxable income if you have another office elsewhere? That’s what Dr. Thomas Vanka of Montreal wanted to do, and he took the […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca February 9, 2002 Stolen dreams York fraud artist easily obtained titles to homes of unwitting victims Imagine what it would be like to wake up one morning and discover that you no longer own the house you’re living in it was apparently sold to someone and then re-mortgaged without your knowledge. You […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca Bob Aaron Recent decision does little to dissuade dishonest realtors Real Estate Council should have yanked agent’s licence The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), the governing body of the province’s real estate agents, has served notice on the profession that it will not tolerate real estate agents who artificially inflate home […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca January 26, 2002 Home insurance policy not all that reassuring You may be surprised by what isn’t covered When their son had an accident in his motorized go-kart, a southwestern Ontario couple found out the hard way what was, and was not, covered in their home insurance policy. Their expensive experience provides […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca January 19, 2002 Living in Shuster’s house I’ll always treasure the aura the late comic left behind as the original owner of my house You could say the recent death of Canadian comic legend Frank Shuster hit me where I live. Emotionally and literally. You see, the place I call home was […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca January 12, 2002 Couple wins fight over new house Bottom falls out of plans for their dream home after sales mixup Paul and Joanne learned the hard way about the problems that might arise when buying a new home from a builder who is not “buyer-friendly.” After their painful experience, they e-mailed […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca January 5, 2002 Woman loses `squatter’s rights’ case Judge critical of attempts to `take over’ another couple’s property Tracey Murray owns the property at 7255 King St., in Caledon. She and her husband bought the house and land with two partners back in 1990, and then bought the partners out in 1994. […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca December 28, 2000 Don’t take your home insurance for granted Make sure you have coverage you need Nicole and Tom were excited about moving into their home, and they weren’t the only ones delighted with the deal. It was the mid-1990s and the market was soft. The vendors, Lois and Clark, had […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca December 14, 2000 Homeowners not liable for sidewalk mishaps Court rules legal responsibility rests with city despite snow-clearing bylaws STARFILE PHOTODIGGING OUT: Property owners can be fined for not clearing sidewalk but can’t be sued in case of accidents, courts have ruled.”On a typical winter morning almost anywhere in Canada, the silence […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca December 7, 2000 Time real estate industry started e-mailing offersIt happened again this week. A fax arrived from a local real estate office advising me that a client had bought a property. A copy of the offer accompanied the fax cover sheet. The next three pages looked like someone had randomly sprinkled […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 30, 2000 There’s no turning back on plan to automate land registryOntario’s plan to automate its land registration system is more than 10 years behind schedule, and its projected cost of completion could exceed $1 billion, says a highly critical report by provincial auditor Erik Peters. In his Special Report on […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 23, 2000 Not all title insurers are alike First Canadian Title tried to get law changedLast week’s column was an introduction to title insurance, a relatively new way to protect home buyers against unpredictable and often undetectable issues that could affect the ownership or marketability of their property. Some of these […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 18, 2000 Why you should get title insurance   Not long ago, an Ontario lawyer acted on a home purchase under a power of sale. The first mortgage had gone into arrears and the mortgagee had sold the house. Title showed that there was a lien for a furnace registered in […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 10, 2000 Make sure your lawyer’s on the e-train Land transfers process going electronic in Peel as part of Ontario-wide automationProperty conveyancing in Mississauga and Brampton has moved from the 18th century to the 21st century with the introduction of electronic property registration across Peel Region. Joining Middlesex (London), Wentworth and […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca November 5, 2000 Province draws line on sloppy documentation New standards set that could delay property registration Users of Ontario’s land registry offices got a double whammy this week with twin announcements that are certain to shake up the stakeholders in the system – lawyers, vendors and purchasers, and freelance conveyancers and […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca October 22, 2000 Spectre of tainted houses raised   Next week is Halloween and wee ghosts and goblins everywhere will be pretending that their home, or their friend’s, is haunted. For most of us, it’s just fun and make-believe. But for others it can be a real nightmare. As of last weekend, […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca October 14, 2000 Love is blind – that’s why there’s legal advice Parents who guarantee their child’s mortgage need to take heed. Nicole and Tom are a young couple in the process of buying their first home. Because they couldn’t quite qualify for a mortgage based on their combined incomes, they needed […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca October 20, 2000 Co-owning a house? Get a written agreement Court cases highlight the importance of working out all the little details first Several years ago I represented for five charming ladies from the Philippines who lived and worked in Toronto as care-givers. They decided that they could save money if they […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca October 7, 2000 Inspectors don’t cover environmental hazards Back in 1994, Natalie bought her first house in what was then the City of York. Relying on my advice, she retained a reputable home inspection firm to give the house a thorough going-over before finalizing the deal. About a month ago, while getting […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 30, 2000 Real estate body insults its members Conference Scheduled for Rosh Hashanah. Today is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and one of the holiest celebrations on the Jewish calendar. It is also the annual conference of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the parent organization of the Toronto Real […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 23, 2000 Paralegal ruling will have far-reaching result Could have chilling effect on non-lawyers involved in real estate services. The Law Society of Upper Canada has been granted a permanent injunction restraining North Bay paralegal Maureen Boldt from practising law. The court order was granted earlier this month by Mr. Justice […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 30, 2000 When parents help their kids buy a home With the average home price in the Toronto area hovering around $250,000, it is not easy these days for young, first-time buyers to break into the home market. Often, the only way today’s 20-somethings can arrange to buy a home is […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 16, 2000 White paper proposals target real estate fraud ‘Dual agency’ by realtors could be outlawed in new legislation. Suzy is a first-time home buyer. She is on a strict budget and having trouble qualifying for a mortgage on a particular house – her dream home. To "help her out," Suzy’s […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 9, 2000 Proposal would protect consumers Movers, renovators would have to stick closer to estimate. When Erin O’Connor planned the move into her new house, she wasn’t expecting the huge hassle she had with her movers. Before the move, her belongings had to be placed in storage temporarily, and she called […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca September 2, 2000 Thinking of buying a time-share? Don’t sign anything at sales presentations. There are reputable dealers but also many reasons to be wary. The Ontario government has proposed a 10-day cooling-off period allowing buyers of time-share properties who have been caught off-guard by high-pressure sales tactics to reconsider their purchases. […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca August 26, 2000 Builders, vendors ignore feng shui at their peril Many buyers take ancient principles seriously when house hunting. Does your home have steeply pitched roof lines? Does it face north? Is there a large pole or tree blocking the front door? Is the home built on a triangular or irregularly […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca August 19, 2000 Vendor mortgage issue draws reactions Readers fear original borrower on hook if buyer takes over loan. A recent column on Brad and Jennifer’s taking over their vendor’s mortgage must have triggered some hot buttons in a number of readers, and it brought a storm of e-mail asking for more […]

Bob Aaron bob@aaron.ca August 5, 2000 Seller’s existing mortgage can be superb marketing tool   When sellers and their agents list a property for sale, they often overlook an item that’s a superb marketing tool and that could add thousands – even tens of thousands – of dollars to the value of the house. That […]