Right now the Toronto and GTA real estate markets are hot, and the effect that this has on the atmosphere for buyers is apparent. Often buyers are unavoidably participating in bidding wars against many other buyers for one property, and houses are selling for over the asking price with no conditions. Unfortunately, this type of a market creates a risky environment for prospective buyers, since they begin to curtail their rights and remedies in a real estate transaction in order to put forward a more appealing offer to the seller and hope to clinch the deal over the competition. Often times one of the first protections that buyers give up in this type of market is the right to get a home inspection done. This is a very important right in the buying process and here are some reasons you should think twice before waiving this right in the purchase … Read More
Evicted Tenant Granted Relief From Forfeiture in Commercial Lease Case
In Kristen Lee Nesbitt v. RJH Reinsurance Services Inc., 2014 ONSC 2643, the landlord evicted the tenant due to alleged unpaid rent, realty taxes, water bills and arrears on a demand loan for leasehold improvements. The tenant applied to the Court for relief from forfeiture (e.g. possession of the premises) under the Commercial Tenancies Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.7, in order to continue operating its restaurant business on the premises. Since relief from forfeiture is an equitable remedy, the Court must consider the proceedings and the conduct of the parties under the circumstances, and any such terms as to payment of rent, costs, expenses, damages, compensation, penalty or the granting of an injunction to restrain any similar breach in the future. Justice Morgan found that the tenant did not appear to come to the Court with “unclean hands” as the dispute was regarding an accounting issue and the terms of the lease agreement, and it was not equitable to put the tenant out of business … Read More