Both alter ego and joint partner trusts (the trust) allow a settlor to transfer capital assets into the trust on a tax-deferred basis if the following conditions are met: The trust is created after 1999. The settlor is at least 65 at the time of creation. In the case of…
Category: Cottage
The gratuitous transfer of property from a parent to an adult, capable child may result in a resulting trust.
Much has been written in this blog space and many others on this topic. Several times a year (in some years more often than others), we are asked in our practice about to advise on succession or estate planning issues for the family cottage. I was recently alerted to a…
In Luck v. Hudson, 2020 ONSC 3811 (Div. Ct.), the Divisional Court confirmed that an appeal is not the time to raise new issues and seek directions regarding an estate. In this case, the deceased and his wife owned a house together jointly which then sold (it is not clear…
In summertime cottages are the delight of everyone. But that dreamy cottage can turn into an estate litigation nightmare, as one family discovered in Donaldson v. Braybrook, 2020 ONCA 66. Margaret had four children: Wendy, Susan, Thomas and Barry. She allowed them all generous access to her cottage. In fact,…
This blog was written by Veronique Thomas-Ewen, Associate Estate and Trust Consultant with Scotia Wealth Management In a carefully planned will, the testator names the spouse as the executor, leaves the family residence and residue to that spouse, but directs the family cottage be held in trust. The spouse has…
With its sandy beaches, hiking trails, canoe routes, and wildlife, the Town of Wasaga Beach is a well-loved Ontario vacation destination. However, no town, however idyllic, is immune to lengthy property disputes, especially when the two people fighting are related to each other. Brother A and Brother B were at…
I am in the middle of a very difficult Canada Revenue Agency audit of a taxpayer’s claim for the principal residence exemption. It now appears the property in question, built by my client some 25 years ago may not qualify for the full exemption due to the fact that the…
The longer days and (occasionally) sunny skies remind us that cottage season is once again almost upon us. A source of great pleasure, the family cottage can also be a source of great angst in the context of estate planning. While often not the largest asset in an estate from…
This Blog was written by Carol Willes, One of our family’s favourite pastimes at the cottage is to build a roaring campfire and spend the evenings telling stories, singing along to guitar tunes and roasting the occasional marshmallow. Every so often, however, some unwelcome visitors show up and crash our…