Updates

As you already may know, in 2023, the Federal Government of Canada implemented a federal ban on most non-resident, non-Canadian purchases of residential real estate, aiming to cool overheated housing markets and improve affordability for domestic buyers. The law prohibits most foreign buyers...

This is just a quick reminder that property tax payments are due by July 2. You should be in contact with your past clients to remind them to pay online, by mail, or in person.  Payment instructions are outlined on their tax bill. You should also remind them to claim the Homeowners' Grant...

I’m pleased to introduce Julia Spagnuolo, who has joined Spagnuolo LLP as our new Business Development Manager.  She is the last of Tony’s three kids to join the family business! Julia graduated from University of Victoria in 2023.  Before joining us, she held marketing roles at a...

This is a bit of a shameless plug but allow me to brag on our services for a bit. I was speaking to a neighbour yesterday who recently lost her husband.  She has had to go through probate and started complaining about the legal fees involved.  When she told me how much it was costing...

A recent article in the Vancouver Sun (Big White scam 'stuff of nightmares,' says B.C. judge who dismissed suit | Vancouver Sun) once again reminds us to take action to prevent against title fraud. In this case fraudsters impersonated the owners of a home in Big White, and the buyers ended...

Good afternoon, just reminding  you that today is Be Kind to Your Lawyer Day! We have changed it slightly to be kind to Spagnuolo LLP Day, and personally I don’t care if all the other lawyers are mad at us.  No need to send gifts, wine, rum, golf balls or any such other items, just keep us...

Just a heads up, we have added a new GST calculator to our website for the recent changes for the First Time Home Buyers.  Both this and the traditional GST calculator can be found at Goods and Services Tax - B.C. Real Estate Lawyers. And in other news, a recent fraud case was published in the...

Thank you to everyone who sent in topic suggestions and questions for our weekly email.  Not surprisingly, many of the questions relate to the recent decision in Cowichan Tribes v. Canada (AG), 2025 and what it may mean for homeowners and purchasers of the land. Stewart Title, one of...

This is a friendly reminder for all City of Vancouver property owners regarding the upcoming deadlines for the Empty Homes Tax and Advance Property Taxes, both due by February 3rd, 2026.  Even if your property is occupied or exempt from the tax, filing the declaration is required through the...

Happy New Year, hope it is starting off great for you. We are compiling topics for our upcoming emails and videos, so if you have any potential topics let me know.  We touched on quite a few last year, but there is always so much more to discuss.  For those that have already suggested a...