Residential Real Estate Conference 2023

Course Chairs
Timothy J. Lack — Redpoint Law LLP, Vancouver
Lisa Niro — Bell Alliance LLP, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
Tim Lack has extensive knowledge and experience in all areas of real estate including secured lending, commercial and residential development, commercial leasing, and sales and acquisitions of residential and commercial real estate and businesses. He has a BA (Honors) with an HBA from the Ivey Business School, University of Western Ontario 1988, LLB UBC 1993, and was called to the BC bar in 1994.

Tim's practice also includes corporate and commercial law acting for lenders and borrowers on commercial transactions and he represents many institutional lenders on large commercial loans.

Over his career, Tim has been responsible for over 10,000 real estate transactions, acting for banks, credit unions, and many other institutional and private lenders. His work with private lenders is extensive and he has been asked to provide numerous expert opinions on private lending issues for litigation lawyers. He has also lectured publicly on several occasions to other lawyers on this subject.

On the real estate side of his practice, Tim has been involved in residential and commercial conveyancing, land assemblies, office and industrial leasing, including landlord and tenant disputes. As part of his real estate development work, Tim has counselled clients from acquisition, through development and to final sales on condo projects, including mixed use and hotel developments.

Tim represents hundreds of clients in all areas of business and commercial deals and is well experienced in the issues surrounding the purchase and sale of businesses.

Finally, he prides himself on providing delicate and trusted advice in the area of wills and estate planning.

Lisa Niro, a partner at Bell Alliance LLP, practices in the area of real estate. Having built a strong foundation in residential conveyancing, she now has a focus on commercial real estate transactions, commercial and private lending, development, and land assemblies. Lisa acts for developers, institutional and private lenders, as well as for individuals, corporations, and partnerships.

Before becoming a lawyer, Lisa worked as an urban planner and designer which allowed her to gain insight into the development industry and municipal approvals process.

Faculty
Barbara K. Buchanan, KC — Practice Advisor, Conduct and Ethics, The Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Andrew P. Morrison — Shields Harney, Vancouver
Jennifer L. Neville — Hamilton & Company, New Westminster
Zheting Su — Thorsteinssons LLP, Vancouver
Ron Usher — Commissioned Notary Public, R.I., General Counsel and Practice Advisor, The Society of Notaries Public of BC, Vancouver
Edward L. Wilson — Lawson Lundell LLP, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios

Course Introduction and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:10)

Teresa Sheward — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
Timothy J. Lack — Redpoint Law LLP, Vancouver
Lisa Niro — Bell Alliance LLP, Vancouver

Morning: LEGAL UPDATE

Case Law Update (9:10 – 9:50)

Speaker TBA

Strata Property Update (9:50 – 10:20)

• recent updates to the Strata Property Act, including:
  • rentals and short-term accommodations
  • age restrictions
  • electric vehicles
  • CRF contribution
• hot topics, including:
  • crane swing agreements
  • heat pumps

Jennifer L. Neville — Hamilton & Company, New Westminster

BREAK (10:20 – 10:35)

Tax Issues Update (10:35 – 11:05)

• GST and rental purpose-built properties
  • new rebate
  • case law on fair market value
• Underused Housing Tax
• Speculation and Vacancy Tax + Vacancy Tax/Empty Homes Tax Update
• general audit/appeals update

Zheting Su — Thorsteinssons LLP, Vancouver

Remote Execution of LTO Documents—What Now? (11:05 – 11:25)

• remote witnessing of documents due to Covid-19 is gone—now what?
• 49 Affidavits of Witness Declaration: when can you use it? when can you not?
• "Pre-authorized Reasons" for accepting documents for filing without Officer Certification
• what are the alternatives?

Edward L. Wilson — Lawson Lundell LLP, Vancouver

Questions & Discussion (11:25 – 11:45)

LUNCH (11:45 – 1:00) with Featured Speaker (12:15 – 12:45)

Speaker TBA

Afternoon: PRACTICE MANAGEMENT UPDATE

ID Verification, Source of Funds, and Client Monitoring: Law Society Requirements and Best Practices (1:00 – 1:25)

• client ID verification
• source of funds
• client monitoring
• how to avoid fraud and anti-money laundering

Barbara K. Buchanan, KC — Practice Advisor, Conduct and Ethics, The Law Society of BC, Vancouver

Law Practice Management (1:25 – 2:05)

• engagement letters, checklists, and client management
• preparing the file
• practical approach

Timothy J. Lack — Redpoint Law LLP, Vancouver
Lisa Niro — Bell Alliance LLP, Vancouver

Additional Inquiries and Searches—Making Visible the Invisible (2:05 – 2:35)

• easements, covenants, rights of way, notices of interest, "options," etc.
• foreshore leases and licenses
• water licenses and permits
• Heritage Conservation Act
• environmental concerns—where is the oil tank?...
• Geographic Information Systems (regional, provincial, and global)
• internet and AI based inquires

Ron Usher — Commissioned Notary Public, R.I., General Counsel and Practice Advisor, The Society of Notaries Public of BC, Vancouver (presenting remotely)

BREAK (2:35 – 2:50)

Collapsing Deals (2:50 – 3:30)

Andrew P. Morrison — Shields Harney, Vancouver
Lisa Niro — Bell Alliance LLP, Vancouver

Hot Topics Roundtable (3:30 – 4:30)

Barbara K. Buchanan, KC — Practice Advisor, Conduct and Ethics, The Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Timothy J. Lack — Redpoint Law LLP, Vancouver
Andrew P. Morrison — Shields Harney, Vancouver
Jennifer L. Neville — Hamilton & Company, New Westminster
Lisa Niro — Bell Alliance LLP, Vancouver
Zheting Su — Thorsteinssons LLP, Vancouver
Ron Usher — Commissioned Notary Public, R.I., General Counsel and Practice Advisor, The Society of Notaries Public of BC, Vancouver
Edward L. Wilson — Lawson Lundell LLP, Vancouver