A Power of What? A Power of Attorney is a valuable part of an estate plan. By using a Power of Attorney, you can control who will make decisions about financial and legal matters for you in case you lose capacity. A Power of Attorney is a legal document used by an individual (the "donor") [...]
Do you need something notarized? Are you looking for someone to notarize a contract, agreement, or other legal document? Documents can be notarized by either a lawyer or a notary public. A notary public is an individual who has trained to serve as an official witness to the execution (signing) of contracts, agreements, and other legal [...]
What is Property Transfer Tax? The Property Transfer Tax (PTT) is a land registration tax charged by the B.C. government on all transfers of real estate in the province that are registered at the Land Title and Survey Authority (LTSA). The amount of tax you are required to pay is based on the fair market [...]
What is the "stress test"? At the beginning of the month, Ottawa released the news that they would be introducing some new measures to make it harder for Canadians to take on a mortgage they can’t afford. On October 17th, 2016, the federal government’s new rules for first-time homebuyers take effect. Now all insured mortgage [...]
The New Wills Estates and Succession Act (WESA) What is it? The Wills, Estates and Succession Act (WESA) came into force on March 31, 2014. The act provides greater certainty for individuals who put their last wishes into writing and simplifies the process for those responsible for distributing an estate. Among its benefits, the act: [...]
How does Property Transfer Tax affect you? Very generally, Property Transfer Tax (PTT) is paid by anyone who has land transferred into their name, unless they qualify for an exemption. Property Transfer Tax is 1% on the first $200,000.00 of the property's fair market value and 2% on the remaining fair market value, as of [...]
