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New Laws - LTB representation - Ontario

mthorn

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Sep 6, 2007
Messages
20
we have a small pm company in Orillia, Ontario and we go to the LTB on a regular basis for ourselves and some of the landlords we represent.

We can not represent anyone else at the board unless we have paralegal status or are exempt from the new law. We have had to postpone hearings and/or have the landlord come to the hearing. This is a new law that was probably not meant to effect the LTB but has. It is causing no end of confusion to both the members (adjudicators) and many other landlords and pm companies. I have seen other cases DISMISSED from large pm companies in Barrie!

Any person or company who was providing paralegal services in Ontario had until October 31st to register for "grandfathering" into the system with an exam based on ethics. This was not well advertised. (AKA hardly anyone knew about it) Here is a link with info: http://rc.lsuc.on.ca.

Rumor: A bunch of lawyers wanted paralegals to be restricted/governed in some way. The law society came up with a licensing method for paralegals

Results for landlords: According to some of my research, Landlords already spend on average over $3,000 to evict tenant. Now, if they do not want to represent themselves, they will have to hire a licensed paralegal (not that many now!) which could cost any where from 450 and will probably now go up.

We are trying to get an exemption ourselves, while deciding on whether it is it worth it to get licensed

I know this is for Ontario - but it will probably come down for Canada -just wanted to give everyone a heads up.

We have hired a lawyer to help us get an exemption while we are getting licensed - I will let you know how it goes.
 

jlittle

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Aug 29, 2007
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4
Hi Michelle,

Your thread is a very timely one. I received a call from my property manager yesterday regarding exactly this. She was at the courthouse in Barrie representing me (as she has done for the past year). We evicted 3 tenants last year for non payment of rent. This time, the judges verdict was in favour of the tenant, even though they hadn`t paid their rent. This was the judgement in a nutshell:

"...the representation is not an employee of the landlord. She is an employee of the Property Management company hired by the landlord, therefore, she is not exempt from the requirement to be liscenced under the Law Society Act"

As a result that she could not represent me, the case has been voided.

I too have a call in to my lawyer and will discuss my options with him. Would appreciate any suggestions that you may have to share with me.

John
 
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