Home owner
How easements affect private property rights
You may be king of your castle, but do you have sole dominion over your land? The answer is ‘no’ if your property is subject to easement rights that allow another party to use part of your land or access services that cross it.
For example, your neighbour may have the legal right to use a portion of your driveway to access their garage. Or a public utility may have buried services that affect where you can install a new backyard pool or even a patio or deck. Any easement that affects your land is something you need to know about before you agree to purchase the property.
Building a backyard rink this winter? 8 tips for outdoor skating fun and neighbourhood harmony
For many families, the arrival of winter means rosy-cheeked children will soon be lacing up ice skates for some fresh air, exercise and outdoor fun.
But as much as Canadians cherish the story of how hockey great Wayne Gretzky perfected his skills on a backyard rink, every year we hear cautionary tales of families who are upset by an order to remove their home ice rink, after umpteen hours of flooding and care.
Honesty, good faith & the survey plan
A new development in Canadian common law will continue to play out in the business and legal worlds this year, with significant and far-reaching implications for all contractual agreements in Canada, including those that govern real estate transactions.
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) decision in the case of Bhasin v. Hrynew SCC 71 imposes a new duty of honest contractual performance and clarifies how the principle of good faith fits into contract law.
Gardening between the lines
With the arrival of warm sunny weather, the garden beckons and the desire for backyard transformation becomes a siren song, sending throngs of people to garden centres and building supply stores to turn vision into reality. But you won’t find the most fundamental tool for creating the ideal backyard paradise among the plants and patio stones and outdoor décor on sale at your local Rona or Home Depot.
And without it, you risk wrecking your relationship with your neighbours and enduring the stress and expense of having to undo all your hard work.