Ottawa Law Blog

The "polluter pays" principle states that the party who caused the contamination should be held responsible to pay for the costs of that contamination. It is one of the foundational principles of environmental law in Canada. However, there are other principles at work in Canada's environmental law regime and a recent Ontario case is an implicit recognition of those principles.

If you are an entrepreneur at heart, chances are you have been waiting for the right opportunity to come along. The thought of buying a business may be intimidating, but it can also be exhilarating when you are ready to take the big step. Before you invest what is likely a sacrificial amount of money, you may want some tips for finding just the right business to suit you.

It is not enough to purchase the first Ottawa business that becomes available or to search in one particular neighbourhood. There are numerous factors that can combine to improve the chances of success for your new venture.

When you first purchase a new build home, it can be both an exciting and confusing time. For condominiums, it can be even more so, especially when it comes to closing costs. There are several different fees and expenses to settle when closing a condo deal.

While the costs will be different depending on the specific property, we've summarized some of the most common closing costs here for you, and will look at more in future weeks. While not a complete list, it should help you understand some of the costs that will be included in your final payments upon closing.

For most residential real estate purchases - both houses and condos - there is a grace period where you may retract your offer before it is accepted. But once that offer is accepted - barring any conditions that are not met - the deal is generally done.

However, a recent article highlights a problem for buyers who are trying to get out of their purchase and sale agreements. They are discovering that if they don't have the money to complete the transaction, backing out of an agreement can have expensive consequences.