If you own a home in Ontario, chances are you—or someone on your street—has had a disagreement with a neighbour over a fence. Whether it’s about who pays for it, where it goes, or how it looks, fences are one of the most common causes of tension between neighbours. What…
News & Resources
New HST Rebate Proposal Could Save First-Time Home Buyers Thousands
Exciting news for first-time home buyers in Ottawa and across Canada: The federal government has announced a proposed enhancement to the GST/HST new housing rebate, which could significantly lower the cost of buying a new home. While full legislative details are still emerging, this update has the potential to bring…
Friends Beyond Borders: Cross-Border Counsel in Challenging Times
Introduction: Neighbors Facing Headwinds, Together This year has seen U.S.–Canada trade relations tested by a flurry of policy headwinds. Early this spring, the United States abruptly imposed sweeping tariffs – 25% on most Canadian imports (with a 10% rate on energy products) – sparking a quick retaliation from Ottawa. Disagreements…
Can Title Insurance Protect You From Old Utility Bills?
Recent news reports from Ottawa have highlighted a troubling issue: some homeowners are being hit with years-old water bills — sometimes amounting to thousands of dollars — for charges incurred by previous owners. Understandably, these surprise costs are causing frustration and confusion. So, how can homebuyers protect themselves from this…
Court Voids Property Transfer in Estate Dispute due to Capacity Issues
Kelly Santini LLP’s JP Zubec and Neelum Raja secured a decisive victory in Scharfe v. Poirier Estate. On January 24, 2025, the Honourable Justice Hackland overturned the transfer of real property by an elderly woman to her adult son, determining that the conveyance had to be set aside on the…
Ontario Court of Appeal Upholds Removal of Co-Estate Trustee for Obstructing Administration
Kelly Santini LLP’s JP Zubec and Neelum Raja secured a significant estate litigation victory at the Ontario Court of Appeal on behalf of their client. On January 17, 2025, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the July 28, 2023, decision of the Honourable Justice Gomery to remove a co-Estate Trustee…
A Year to Hold Back the Holdback
In Fall 2024, Ontario announced upcoming amendments to the Construction Act, following a five-year review of the broad changes implemented during 2018 and 2019. Perhaps the most significant upcoming change is the decision to impose mandatory expiry of liens and release of holdback on an annual basis: each year, all…
Protecting Your Real Estate Transaction
How Treefort Keeps Your Identity Safe Buying or selling a home is one of the most significant financial transactions many people will ever make. To protect all parties involved and to prevent fraud, the Law Society of Ontario requires all lawyers in the province to verify the identity of their…