Don’t Mess with Employment Standards
Dara Fresco has spent the past 10 years working as a bank teller at more than a dozen branches of CIBC. Ms. Fresco claims that she is routinely required to work two to five extra hours a week without being compensated. By her calculations she is owed about $50,000 in overtime pay. Alison Corless worked […]
Child Support Payments: How Far Back Will They Go?
The Ontario Court of Appeal recently released a decision dealing with the issue of a payor father who failed to notify the mother, in a timely fashion, of a substantial increase in his income. Chronology of Events After nine years of marriage and three children, the parties divorced in 1998. The mother was granted custody […]
When the Boss is a Bully
When you think of bullying the picture that probably pops up is a big mean kid pushing all the other kids around. But if you think this kind of intimidation happens only in the school yard you would be wrong. In recent years, bullying has been making its presence felt in the workplace. When the […]
The Personal Property Security Act: Establishing Your Priority
Every day throughout Ontario, people are borrowing money to buy cars, appliances, equipment, and businesses and they are putting up a variety of personal property as collateral. In order to track these loans and collateral, the Ontario government enacted the Personal Property Security Act (PPSA). The Act sets up a registry system, the Personal Property […]
Oh Those Noisy Neighbours!
Unless you live on a deserted island, you must learn to coexist with your neighbours. But if you do run up against a problem neighbour, the law may be able to provide some assistance. “Neighbour law”, including pets, fences, junky looking yards and noise are generally dealt with by way of municipal bylaws. In this […]
Celebrating 25 Years
This year marks the 25th anniversary of one of Canada’s most important legal documents – the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Charter, which is part of our Constitution, sets out those rights and freedoms that Canadians believe are necessary in a free and democratic society. The Charter applies to Parliament and to institutions […]
Working With a Real Estate Agent
The GTA housing market remains red hot. If you are one of those looking to either buy or sell a home then one of your first jobs will probably involve finding a real estate agent. Selling a Home Although you are not legally required to employ the services of a real estate agent when selling […]
When is a Car Accident Not a Car Accident?
The Supreme Court of Canada recently ruled in two cases, Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Co v. Herbison and Citadel General Assurance Co. v. Vytlingam, that questioned the scope of auto insurance. Specifically, the Court was asked to consider the sufficiency of the connection between the acts that caused the plaintiffs’ injuries and the use of the […]
Victory for Homeowners Confirmed
In the recent winter edition of Legal Issues we told you about a family whose home had been fraudulently sold and mortgaged. The family successfully sued to have the sale and mortgage set aside. In 2005, Susan Lawrence was a victim of a similar fraud. Unfortunately the judge in her case refused to set aside […]
Is Your Family’s Business Ready for the Hand Off?
“…it is difficult to pass a family business successfully from one generation to the next if family, financial and legal preparedness do not exist.” –Canadian Journal of Policy Research In 1999 Deloitte & Touche and the University of Waterloo published the results of a survey that considered how ready Canadian family-owned businesses were for the […]