New Family Law Act – Coming on March 18, 2013
On March 18, 2013, the new Family Law Act (the “Act”) is coming into effect and along with it are several changes to the law as we know it in British Columbia. Although we are not family law…
Who keeps the Deposit when the Purchaser fails to complete?
A recent Court of Appeal judgement, Tang v. Zhang, has moved towards clarifying the law surrounding the forfeiture of deposits in British Columbia real estate transactions when the purchaser fails to complete. The case in question involved a…
The New Limitation Act and Demand Promissory Notes
When family members enter into financial arrangements with each other, there is often a hesitation to document those arrangements. Therefore, many choose to document loans between family members and friends by using Demand Promissory Notes. A Demand Promissory…
Terms of Use and Haircut Restrictions
A recent judgment issued by the Supreme Court of British Columbia illustrates the importance of having clear agreements between parties prior to spending a lot of money. The case involved a commercial tenancy dispute between two plaintiffs, Abraham…
CRA is looking into Tax Shelters in 2012
The Canada Revenue Agency has issued a News Release stating that they will be putting the assessment of any individual returns on hold that claim a credit by participating in a tax shelter scheme. They warn that starting…
CRA runs free information sessions for Registered Charities
Many people are not aware that Canada Revenue Agency offers free information sessions to all registered charities. Although there are no upcoming sessions scheduled for Vancouver, British Columbia, it would be beneficial for charities to keep a close…
Changes to Small Claims in British Columbia
If you have ever been involved in a civil dispute filed in the British Columbia Provincial Court, Small Claims Court division then you will be aware that it can be a time consuming process with several stages scheduled…
Court Ordered Liquidation and Dissolution
Recently in the Supreme Court of B.C. a decision was released, Higginson v. R.T.D. Enterprises Ltd., regarding a court ordered liquidation and dissolution of a Company. In this case two brothers, Reggie and George Higginson were the only…
No Will – More Worries?
The Supreme Court of British Columbia has recently heard and decided upon an estate dispute (Souraya v. Kinch), which concerned the estate of Billy Jaswant Singh Rai, who was involved in criminal gang activities for many years. Billy…
Wills, Estates and Succession Act Coming into Force
The long awaited Wills, Estates and Succession Act (“WESA”) will be coming into force on March 31, 2014 and it will bring with it many changes to the current wills, estates and succession laws in British Columbia. Consequently,…