Main Takeaways: The main difference between tenancy in common and joint tenancy is what happens to the land when one of the co-owners dies. For a tenancy in common, when one of the owners dies, their interest in the land forms part of their estate to be distributed in accordance with the deceased’s will, or in

One of the biggest frustrations a homeowner can face is a dispute with a neighbour over property boundaries. Property line disputes with neighbours can lead to ongoing hostility and controversy that cause stress and even can make it difficult to continue living in an area. If you’re involved in a property line argument with a

Disputes regarding the ownership and use of land can have extremely serious financial consequences and can affect the way you are able to enjoy your property. For this reason, these disputes can quickly become acrimonious and often result in litigation. Although  land ownership disputes can involve disagreements about who owns a particular parcel of real

Many people in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia choose to purchase real estate with another person, usually for property investment purposes.  Family members can also find themselves jointly owning land as a result of an inheritance or a gift made as a result of an estate plan.  One of the important aspects of joint or

A high fence in British Columbia may be helpful when a homeowner has children or even a dog, but what if the fence crosses onto the neighbour’s property?  Even more difficult is when a neighbour’s building crosses the property line or creates a safety concern. Section 36 of British Columbia’s Property Law Act[1] offers a

A purchase contract is a key document in a Vancouver real estate transaction. It speaks to the rights and obligations of the parties with respect to a real estate transaction involving “fee simple” land or a state property.  It is also an exchange of promises to do something in the future.  As soon as those

Joint-ownership of a recreational property is not always easy. Peaceful co-existence within a family can sometimes be more fantasy than reality when family members disagree on the use, improvement or transfer of partial ownership interests in a vacation property. Vacation Property Ownership Agreements Recreational land can end up being owned by a number of family

What happens when two people who own property together (joint tenants or tenants in common) can’t agree on what should happen to their land.  When co-owners agree to list the house for sale and to divide the profits, or alternately implement a buy out of one owner’s share, the process can be fairly easy and

The price of residential real estate in the City of Vancouver and surrounding communities continues to increase at a staggering rate. This is especially true for single-family homes where figures released by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver[1] for February 2016 show a 27% year-over-year increase for single-detached home prices in Metro Vancouver. Property

There is a saying that “good fences make good neighbours” and that may be the case for most people.  However, in a region such as metro Vancouver where an ever increasing number of people are trying to live on the same finite land base, the potential for ‘unneighbourly’ disputes is also increasing.  Disputes are not