Stratford Real Estate Lawyer

Are you planning to buy or sell property in Stratford, Ontario? You will need the assistance of a real estate lawyer. Not only is it a requirement in Canada – only licensed legal professionals have access to certain software databases used in real estate transactions – but it may also be in your best interests to work with someone who can help make sure you understand every document you’re signing.

Our team of Stratford real estate lawyers at Cohen Highley LLP appreciates the unique needs of every client. Whether your real estate needs concern a detached house or a unit in a multi-level residential complex, or any number of other property types, contact us today to see how we might be of service to you.

How Can A Stratford Real Estate Lawyer Assist With My Real Estate Purchase or Sale?

A real estate purchase is a major transaction that comes with many items of business. Here are some of the services our team of Stratford real estate lawyers might be able to provide:

• Communications with your real estate agent
• Communications with the real estate lawyer on the other side of the transaction
• Organization of your contracts and legal documents, including your Agreement of Purchase and Sale
• Negotiations regarding your fees, as well as sale terms and conditions
• Execution of title and off-title searches
• Advice on title insurance, where applicable
• Assistance in mortgage arrangement, including communications with you bank and/or lender
• Arrangement of title transfer, transfer of funds, exchange of keys, and Statement of Adjustments
• Estimation of final dollar amounts
• And more

Whatever your specific needs, our team of Stratford real estate lawyers would be pleased to book a consultation and see how we might be able to help. Call our Stratford office today.

Types of Real Estate Transactions Handled by Real Estate Lawyers at Cohen Highley LLP

The kinds of real estate transactions a lawyer might be able to help you with don’t stop with the purchase or sale of housing. Matters concerning residential or commercial residencies, the leasing of land, and expropriation law can all benefit from legal advice. Depending on your specific situation, here are some of the ways our Stratford real estate lawyers might be of service.

Residential Real Estate

A property intended for private occupancy on a temporary or permanent basis is a standard definition of residential real estate. This can apply to any number of property types:

• Detached houses
• Semi-detached houses
• Townhouses and other row houses
• Apartments, including duplexes
• Units in condominiums
• Mobile homes
• And more

Factors of location, age, and quality go into the consideration of how much a seller can expect for a given property. There can also be a range of considerations at play in the buyer’s interests: some people are looking to purchase a new home for themselves and their family, for instance, while others might be looking for an investment property to then lease to tenants for a profit. At Cohen Highley LLP, we understand the many variables involved in the purchase and sale of residential real estate. Contact us today to see if our services might be a match for you.

Residential Tenancies

Owners of residential properties that lease to tenants may encounter challenges surrounding landlord and tenant relations. Our team of Stratford real estate lawyers has over 30 years experience exclusively representing landlords and property managers in a range of issues. These include, but are not limited to:

• Drafting notices and applications regarding noise or disturbance issues, or impaired safety
• Advising on solutions following property damage
• Applications concerning rent arrears and evictions
• Enforcement of arrears and evictions
• Representation before the Landlord and Tenant Board
• Representation in Small Claims Court
• General consultation

For more information on how the team at Cohen Highley LLP might be able to help you, contact us today.

Non-Profit Housing Corporations

As an affordable leasing option, non-profit housing corporations or cooperatives offer rent-geared-to-income housing to low to medium income households. This means that the monthly rent is not a fixed amount, but a percentage of a given household’s monthly income. 

The equivalent of landlords in a non-profit housing corporation are typically boards run by volunteers, who are often residents of the building or community themselves. Responsible for matters ranging from organizing general building maintenance to deciding on the termination of occupancy agreements, tensions can arise between the board and the residents their decisions affect.

In the event that issues escalate, it can be beneficial to hire the services of a lawyer who has experience helping non-profit housing corporations. At Cohen Highley LLP, our Stratford real estate lawyers might be able to assist in:

• Offering legal guidance to the coordinators and boards of housing corporations
• Drafting or making amendments to housing by-laws and incorporation documents
• Heading appeals on property tax assessments
• Advising on responses to Human Rights Complaints
• Representing boards before the Superior Court of Justice

Every individual case is different, and we would be happy to talk through the specifics of yours. Book a consultation with us today.

Commercial Tenancies

A commercial tenancy involves the leasing of real estate to one or more businesses that operate out of the leased property. Just like their residential counterparts, commercial tenancies can come with a range of unique landlord and tenant issues. There might be additional risks of bankruptcy, for instance, given the at-times risky nature of business operations. Our Stratford real estate lawyers understand the fast-paced nature of the commercial tenancy relationship, and might be able to help landlords and tenants alike in the following areas:

• Clarity on the terms and conditions or a lease
• Matters of sublets and lease reassignments
• Rent arrears
• Rent recoverable
• The levying of distress against a tenant’s goods
• Actions based on the fraudulent removal of goods
• Lease forfeiture
• Bankruptcy and related matters
• Injunctive relief
• Representation in legal proceedings
• And more

For specific insights into how our Stratford real estate lawyers might be able to help in your unique case, contact us today.

Land Leasing

An affordable path to homeownership in Canada is through a land lease agreement. Under this agreement, an individual or household might own the property they live in, but pay rent to a landlord for the land on which it stands. Many people take advantage of this across the country; examples range from rural and suburban land lease communities and mobile home communities to land leased for recreational purposes (eg. campgrounds).

Land lease and mobile home tenancies offer their own set of rewards and challenges for landowners. Often responsible for maintaining the common grounds, landowners might need to communicate with municipalities about zoning laws, or organize for the installation, upgrade, or maintenance of roads, sewage, and water systems. As with the other types of tenancies, interpersonal tensions may arise regarding the leases themselves. In this and many other matters, the licensed paralegals, rent control consultants and real estate lawyers at Cohen Highley LLP might be able to help you. Call our Stratford office today to discuss how.

Expropriation Law

In Canada, it is possible for the government to legally take possession of private land for public interest, such as for building schools or roads. This is known as expropriation, and is governed by the Expropriation Act – a complicated piece of legislation that features numerous exceptions, as well as specific guidelines on how it can be applied. Typically, a private landowner whose land has been expropriated will be offered a settlement as compensation.

Whether you are a government entity or a private landowner facing issues of expropriation law, our Stratford real estate lawyers might be of service to you.

We might be able to help government entities plan and execute any number of steps in the expropriation process, from inception to settlement. This might include running settlement negotiations as well as cost-saving strategy, and representation before the Ontario Municipal Board, or the Courts.

For private landowners, we might be able to assist and advise in settlement negotiations, help to strategize maximizing the amount you can receive in your settlement, and represent you before the Ontario Municipal Board or the Courts.

Contact Our Stratford Real Estate Lawyers Today For a Consultation

The area of real estate law can range from the purchase and sale of residential property through all manner of tenancies, and the complicated framework of expropriation law. With a team of Stratford real estate lawyers committed to helping clients understand their legal rights, we would be pleased to talk about how we might be able to help you. Call us at our Stratford office today to book an initial consultation.