Legal Reference Materials & Blog | Calgary | KH

Real Estate • June 22, 2015

Land Titles Fee Increases Cancelled!

Alberta’s new Provincial Government has officially announced that it will cancel the plans of the previous government to increase Land Titles fees. We have had many clients calling our office worried about the proposed fee increases and the impact that these fees would have on the cost of real estate transactions. The fees were set…

Wills & Estates • June 1, 2015

Named as Executor in a Will? Why You May Need a Grant of Probate!

An executor of a deceased person’s estate is responsible to settle the deceased’s affairs and distribute the deceased’s assets in accordance with their will. However, before the executor can distribute the deceased’s property, they may be required to obtain a grant of probate from the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta. Obtaining a grant of…

Corporate • May 19, 2015

Does Your Corporation Have A Minute Book?

All corporations, large or small, should maintain a complete and up-to-date corporate minute book. A corporate minute book contains all of the important records of the corporation relating to directors, shareholders, officers and major corporate decisions. Some of the important corporate documents contained in a corporate minute book include the articles of incorporation, by-laws, share…

Corporate • May 11, 2015

Selling Your Business? Planning Your Exit Strategy Can Impact Your Bottom Line!

Many of our clients work very hard to establish and grow their business, and the sale of their business is often relied upon to fund their retirement or to fund other ventures. What business owners may not realize is that the way in which the sale transaction is structured can greatly impact their net return…

Real Estate • April 26, 2015

Buying a New RENTAL Property? You May Qualify for a GST Rebate!

If you are purchasing a newly constructed or substantially renovated residential property for rental purposes, the purchase price will be subject to goods and services tax (“GST”). However, you may qualify for a rebate of a portion of the GST payable through the Canada Revenue Agency’s (“CRA”) “GST/HST New Residential Rental Property Rebate.” The GST/HST…

Real Estate • April 20, 2015

Buying a new home? You may qualify for a GST Rebate!

Goods and Services Tax (“GST”) will typically be collected on the sale prices of most goods and services in Canada. Although GST does not need to be collected in respect of every home purchase, if you are looking to buy a newly constructed or substantially renovated home, the entire purchase price will be taxable. Fortunately,…

General • March 9, 2014

Position Available: Legal Assistant/ Paralegal

We are looking for a positive and energetic person to join our team. The focus will be on residential and commercial real estate conveyancing and financing transactions, mobile home transactions, and corporate/commercial matters. We are seeking someone with 3+ years of experience working as a legal assistant/paralegal in these areas. The salary is competitive, with…

Real Estate • March 7, 2014

The Importance of an Offer to Lease

An Offer to Lease is often just as important, if not more important, than the actual lease agreement when dealing with commercial tenancies. They are most often binding on the parties, therefore, a tenant should take special care to ensure that all terms stated in the Offer to Lease are acceptable. While some people tend…

Real Estate • March 2, 2014

CMHC Insurance Premiums Increased!

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation ("CMHC") has announced that it will increase the premiums to be paid by homeowners when obtaining a mortgage with less than 20% equity in the property. The premiums will increase by an average of 15%. The increase in premiums will result in greater costs to persons buying a home…

Real Estate • February 17, 2014

Mandatory New Home Warranties in Alberta

The New Home Buyer Protection Act came into force in Alberta on February 1, 2014 and makes it mandatory for every new house or condo (commenced after February 1, 2014) to come with a third-party new home warranty program. All builders must now be registered with a Registry set up under the Department of Municipal…