In 1985, Veikko Kivikangas subdivided a parcel of waterfront land he owned in Sudbury into three lots. One had direct road access; the others were given a right-of-way over each of the other pieces in order to access their lands. There had long been a gravel road over...
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Happy long weekend!
The Canada Day long weekend is rapidly approaching here in the great white north. I’m looking forward to a nice break, filled with the first birthday party for my friend’s son, at least one barbeque and definitely some fireworks on Monday night. What I’m not looking...
When is a house a matrimonial home?
In Ontario, the Family Law Act rules state exactly when a home becomes a matrimonial home: the day you get married, if you are living there. In order to be a matrimonial home, it must be your ordinary residence. Your house could be a matrimonial home; so can your ski...
Pay your taxes
Most people aren't aware of this, but if you don't pay your municipal property taxes, the city or town has the right to sell your house out from under you. Keep in mind that just because they can, doesn't mean they necessarily will. First, the municipality cannot...
What happens if you don’t close?
I have had this situation a few times: a client calls not too long before closing, and they’ve gotten cold feet. What happens if you don’t want to close the deal? Generally, if you refuse to close, you must have a legitimate reason. As a buyer, if something is...
Cutting ties
What happens when you own a property jointly with someone, and don’t want to share any more? Your kindergarten teacher probably wouldn’t be happy, but technically, you can sever a joint tenancy without any notice to the other parties. Basically, you do a transfer from...
Specific performance
You put in an offer and it was accepted, but some time before the closing date, the seller decided not to complete the deal. Can you sue to make them sell you the property? In Ontario, there is a concept called “specific performance” which, essentially, means that you...
Working in Harmony
Here’s a neat story out of my hometown: Harmony Village, which will be going up in downtown Barrie (hopefully) next year. Harmony Village will be a mix of condo towers, townhomes, and commercial space, right on the water of Kempenfelt Bay. Check out their website for...
Buying a rental
I have written before about assuming a hot water heater rental contract with your new house. Today’s question: do you want to? Before you automatically agree to assume the contract, you might want to take a look at the wording of it. Sometimes it makes more sense to...
Cutting ties
What happens when you own a property jointly with someone, and don’t want to share any more? Your kindergarten teacher probably wouldn’t be happy, but technically, you can sever a joint tenancy without any notice to the other person. Basically, you do a transfer from...