Let me tell you about a very interesting situation. Bob the Builder purchased 10 lots on a street. One half the street or lots 1 through 5 backed onto a …
Survey or Title Insurance?
Actually, it shouldn’t be one or the other. It should be both. One of the problems is that title insurance was marketed as a cheaper alternative to a survey. This …
Lots: Vacant, Empty, Buildable, Ready for Development
What does all this mean? You see an ad for a “fixer-upper” but you’re not handy and you really don’t want something hodge-podge in the end for a million dollars …
The Valuation of Corner Lots
So, are corner lots good or bad? Well, it all depends. Originally, land was subdivided into lots which were all of the same size. That caused a little bit of …
Ontario Tree Thieves Might Steal Your Property
By Brian Madigan LL.B. Now, you might think that I’m talking about people who steal trees. I’m not. I’m talking about trees that steal property for you! Obviously, these are …
Good Fences Make Good Neighbours
From Hadrian’s Wall to the Great Wall of China, thousands of years before Robert Frost’s prophetic words, neighbours have struggled with the age-old problem of constructing fences. Just where to …
Should You get Title Insurance or a New Survey?
Actually, it shouldn’t be one or the other. It should be both. One of the problems is that title insurance was marketed as a cheaper alternative to a survey. …
Title Insurance: Is it Necessary?
That’s a good question. Prior to 1997, there was no commonly available title insurance in Ontario and yet it was the norm in the United States. Solicitor’s Opinion Traditionally, purchasers …
Good Title Clause
Assuming that you wish to bargain for “good title with the regular noted exceptions”, and move away from the obligation to accept “title insurance”, then here’s a clause for your …
Bargain for “Good Title”
Most common law jurisdictions bargain for “good title”, subject to some exceptions. In Ontario, the standard Form OREA Agreement of Purchase and Sale goes one step further. It lowers the …