Updates

For those of you that follow us on Instagram you should have seen the post from one of our referral partners about a deal going sideways.  We were dealing with a notary on the other side who was not willing to have her client sign certain documents.  It took us until after hours on a Friday...

Given the sheer volume of our real estate practice, we are often faced with situations where both the buyer and seller want to use Spagnuolo LLP.  Are we allowed to do so? Maybe!  How’s that for a precise answer. In British Columbia, a law firm can represent both buyer and seller if...

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...