Earlier this year, the courts considered the ramifications of a married person swearing a false affidavit as to their marital status in relation to the transfer of real estate. Joncas v Joncas (2017 ABCA 50) once again sets out the law with respect to dishonest dispositions of property under section 11(1) of the Dower Act. […]
Two Lawyers in Our Firm Named to Executive for Canadian Bar Association
As an example of our strong commitment to pro bono work, giving back to our community and staying on the leading edge of the law, KH/Dunkley Law Group is proud to announce that two lawyers in our firm have been elected as members of the Executive Committee for the Canadian Bar Association – Residential Real Property South […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
What are Dower Rights in the Context of Selling a Home?
Dower Rights are rights given to a married person in the couple’s “homestead” when only one spouse is named on title. Dower Rights arise when either spouse has resided on the property at any time during the marriage. Dower Rights are intended to ensure that that the spouse on title does not dispose of the […]
Closings for real estate transactions following floods
As Alberta’s online Land Titles system (SPIN II) is running, closings can be completed as scheduled for both residential and commercial real estate transactions. In certain instances, title insurance may be needed to faciliate a timely closing. This, of course, does not apply to properties which are not accessible or which have been damaged or […]
