Hubschi Estate

By Sabey Rule Blog

The decision in Hubschi Estate, 2019 BCSC 2040, illustrates three significant points concerning the application of section 58 of British Columbia’s Wills, Estates and Succession Act, which allows the Supreme Court of British Columbia to give effect to a document or record that does not comply with the formal signing and witnessing requirements for a valid will. First, the case illustrates the importance of the factual context including the relationships between the deceased and the beneficiaries. Secondly, this case confirms that the court may give effect to a digital record on a computer. Thirdly, the maker of the document need not have intended that the specific document or record to operate as a will.

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January 20, 2020
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Owners Entitled to Extend Patio onto Common Property

By Sabey Rule Blog, Strata and Condo Law

A strata corporation has control over the common property and most (if not all) strata bylaws require approval of the strata to make alterations to the common property. In the case of a patio extension onto common property, an owner does not have an automatic right to extend their patio or make changes to the common property (or limited common property) backyard.

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December 12, 2019
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CRT Awards Legal Fees

By Sabey Rule Blog

In the first decision of its kind, the CRT has award legal fees against an owner and payable to a strata corporation. In the case of Parfitt v The Owners, Strata Plan VR 416, 2019 BCCRT 330, the owners were suing the strata corporation over concerns of the proper governance of the strata corporation.

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November 12, 2019
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Volovsek v. Donaldson

By Sabey Rule Blog

The provisions of the Wills, Estates and Succession Act (“WESA”) allowing a spouse or child to apply to vary a will if the will-maker has not made adequate provision for the spouse or child may be avoided by the will maker settling a trust during his lifetime, and holding significant assets in the trust.

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October 28, 2019
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Amendments to section 151 of WESA

By Sabey Rule Blog

Section 151 of the Wills, Estates and Succession Act (the “WESA”), was amended effective September 16, 2019. This section allows someone who is not the deceased’s personal representative to apply to court to make or defend a claim on behalf of the deceased. The amendments make a number of procedural changes, some of which I will comment on.

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October 21, 2019
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How to Properly Document a Transfer into Joint Tenancy

By Sabey Rule Blog

I have preached caution about the use of joint tenancies as an estate-planning tool to transfer wealth often from a parent to a child, or sometimes to some other relative or friend. One of the first blog posts I wrote back in September, 2005, was entitled “Six Potential Pitfalls Parents Should Consider Before Transferring Real Estate Into a Joint Tenancy with Their Children.” There are in fact more than six, and I won’t repeat them all here. Instead I want to focus on how to properly document a transfer into a joint tenancy when the transfer is done as part of an estate plan.

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February 19, 2019
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Expanding the Size of a Strata Lot

By Sabey Rule Blog

The Strata Property Act has a specific, if lengthy, procedure when expanding the habitable area of a strata lot. In the case of Hassan v The Owners, Strata Plan LMS 2854, 2018 BCCRT 303, the strata was in a dispute with the owners over whether the owners followed the correct procedure when expanding their habitable area.

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February 11, 2019
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Supreme Court of Canada Overturns B.C. Court of Appeal Decision in S.A. v. Metro Vancouver Housing Corp

By Sabey Rule Blog

The Supreme Court of Canada, in S.A. v. Metro Vancouver Housing Corp., 2019 SCC 4, overturned the decision of the British Columbia Court of Appeal, a decision I wrote about here. This case deals with the use of a discretionary trust to provide benefits for a person with disabilities without jeopardising other benefits that are means tested. These trusts are sometimes referred to as Henson Trusts, and in many provinces, including British Columbia, are an effective way of preserving the person’s provincial disability benefits.

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February 11, 2019
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Interest on Legacies

By Sabey Rule Blog

In British Columbia, if a legacy is not paid within one-year of the will-maker’s death, the beneficiary is entitled to interest at a rate of 5% per year from the first anniversary of the date of death. This rule applies unless the will provides that no interest is payable or provides for a different rate. In my experience, most will-makers do not address this issue in their wills.

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February 5, 2019
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Moore v Sweet

By Sabey Rule Blog

On November 23, 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in Moore v. Sweet, 2018 SCC 52, in which the majority imposed a remedial constructive trust on the proceeds of a life insurance policy in favour of the life insured’s former spouse. The life insured, and owner of the policy, Lawrence Anthony Moore, had orally agreed with his former spouse, Michelle Constance Moore, that he would retain her as the beneficiary of his life insurance policy, if she paid the insurance premiums. She did so, paying approximately $7,000 in premiums after her separation from Mr. Moore. He broke his promise to her, by appointing his new common-law spouse, Risa Lorraine Sweet, as the irrevocable beneficiary. The policy paid out $250,000. At death, Mr. Moore’s estate was insolvent.

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December 18, 2018
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