Highfield Law Office

09/22/2025

Hello, this is Highfield Law Office.

We will be closed for a fall break, starting Monday, September 29. We will remain closed until Thanksgiving Monday (October 13), resuming normal business hours on Tuesday, October 14.

General information can be found on our website, www.highfieldlaw.com . The website includes information on our fees and also has the Estate Information Form (if you wish to proceed with the preparation of estate documents, like your will). Any inquiries requiring our presence at the office will be addressed upon our return.

Thank you.

Edmonton Real Estate Law and More

10/03/2024

LAND TITLES FEE INCREASE - confirmed!
It was confirmed on September 27, 2024 that the Government of Alberta will increase some Land Titles fees. This will come into effect on October 20, 2024. Land Titles has confirmed that any DRR (Document Registration Request) received before October 19, 2024 will retain the current fee structure.

The only fees that will change are property transfer and mortgage registrations; please keep mind that all other fees will remain the same.

Previously, the government charged $2 for every $5,000.00 in property value for a transfer of land, and $1.50 for every $5,000.00 in mortgage value for a mortgage. Under the new budget, this will now be $5 for every $5,000.00 for both registrations. The base fee of $50 would remain.
If someone was buying a home for $500,000.00, with a mortgage of $400,000.00 (20% down), the fees would be as follows:
TRANSFER
(current)
$50 + ($500,000.00 / $5,000.00 x 2) = $250.00
(new)
$50 + ($500,000.00 / $5,000.00 x 5) = $550.00
MORTGAGE
(current)
$50 + ($420,000.00 / $5,000.00 x 1.5) = $176.00
(new)
$50 + ($420,000.00 / $5,000.00 x 5) = $470.00
TOTAL REGISTRATION FEE
Current: $426.00
New: $1,020.00
As shown above, the new registration fee total would be more than double the current amount.

Furthermore, this does not take into account the current popularity of collateral mortgages, in which lenders secure current and potential future loans by taking the property as collateral (up to a certain dollar amount). Collateral mortgages tend to have amounts on paper exceeding the actual mortgage amount at that time (up to, and sometimes surpassing, the property purchase price or appraised value). Such mortgages will therefore have even higher registration fees.

Please keep in mind that this will increase our fees for future purchases and refinances. We will update our quotes accordingly to reflect this.

Thank you!

Send a message to learn more

05/10/2024

2024 TAXES

2024 property tax information has just been released for Edmonton properties; other municipalities will release them later this month.

As in previous years, taxes for the calendar year are due and payable by June 30; in this case, as June 30 is a Sunday, taxes should be paid by Friday, June 28. Homeowners generally have the option of paying monthly in 12 instalments directly with the municipality.

You must make payment, or arrange for payments, by the end of June. If you do not, the municipality will charge you late penalties.

If you purchased recently, please note that Land Titles registration turnaround times are getting longer; they have breached the 3-week mark recently. As such, you may not be registered as the owner on title prior to the tax bills being mailed out. If you have not received a bill by early June, we *strongly recommend* that you contact the municipality for the information. The municipality will NOT accept Land Titles delays as a valid excuse for late payment.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please let us know.

Thank you, and have a great day!

Send a message to learn more

03/01/2024

LAND TITLES FEE INCREASE

In their budget update yesterday (February 29), the Alberta government has announced a noticeable increase to Land Titles registration fees, specifically the fees for registering a transfer of land and mortgage. For both documents, part of the registration fee takes the value of the property / mortgage into account. Under the change, though, that portion of the fee rises significantly, and the formula is now the same for both documents.

Previously, the government charged $2 for every $5,000.00 in property value for a transfer of land, and $1.50 for every $5,000.00 in mortgage value for a mortgage. Under the new budget, this will now be $5 for every $5,000.00 for both registrations. The base fee of $50 would remain.

If someone was buying a home for $500,000.00, with a mortgage of $400,000.00 (20% down), the fees would be as follows:

TRANSFER
(current)
$50 + ($500,000.00 / $5,000.00 x 2) = $250.00
(new)
$50 + ($500,000.00 / $5,000.00 x 5) = $550.00

MORTGAGE
(current)
$50 + ($420,000.00 / $5,000.00 x 1.5) = $176.00
(new)
$50 + ($420,000.00 / $5,000.00 x 5) = $470.00

TOTAL REGISTRATION FEE
Current: $426.00
New: $1,020.00

As shown above, the new registration fee total would be more than double the current amount.

Furthermore, this does not take into account the current popularity of collateral mortgages, in which lenders secure current and potential future loans by taking the property as collateral (up to a certain dollar amount). Collateral mortgages tend to have amounts on paper exceeding the actual mortgage amount at that time (up to, and sometimes surpassing, the property purchase price or appraised value). Such mortgages will therefore have even higher registration fees.

Lastly, please note that this time, there is no confirmed date as to when these fee increases will come into effect. We will inform you further once the budget is tabled and more information is released by the Alberta government.

Thank you!

01/08/2024

Hello, and happy new year!

We wish to advise our followers on new tax reporting requirements that may affect your returns for this year and future years. Please note that as we are not accountants or tax lawyers, we cannot give detailed advice, but we wish to inform you accordingly.

With the news link ban still in place, we are unable to link the CBC article, but to confirm, bare trusts must now be reported to CRA. Bare trusts come in various forms, but some "accidental" trusts include parties (like parents) who co-sign a mortgage for someone else (like their child) or when parents add children to their property title for estate planning (inheritance) purposes.

While there are no tax consequences or payments as of yet, failure to report such bare trusts can come with penalties that can add up to thousands of dollars depending on the situation.

You can look up this news online if you search "CBC new tax rules 2024" or just talk to your accountant directly.

Thank you!

01/08/2024

Hello, and happy new year!

CRA has brought in new tax rules for this year. While we are not accountants and cannot give any detailed advice, we wish to let you know of a new wrinkle in tax rules that may affect you.

As of this year, you must report any bare trusts that you are involved. While there are many examples of this, two possible scenarios that we see at our office are people who co-sign mortgages for others (the most common example is parents co-signing mortgages for a child) and when parents add children to property titles for estate planning / inheritance purposes.

While there are no payable taxes at this time, such trusts must be reported to CRA, and there can be significant penalties for those who do not report them, even if unintentional.

Please review the CBC article for additional details, and should you require further advice or information, please reach out to an accountant directly.

Thank you!

New tax measures, and changes to existing ones, will begin affecting Canadians in 2024. But tax experts say the effects on most individuals are likely to be minor, unless they’re high-income earners.

11/28/2023

We've been looking forward to this day all year! In keeping with our ongoing commitment to help neighbors in need, we are pleased to have donated an amount sufficient for 800 meals at the Hope Mission. And today, your donation is automatically doubled!

HAPPY GIVING TUESDAY!

https://hopemission.com/donate/

03/28/2023

The federal government has just released amendments to their law regarding the restrictions on non-residents buying property. They have allowed those on work permits to buy property as long as they have at least half a year left on their permit. There are also numerous exceptions for bare land purchasers and those purchasing to develop land.

Should you have any questions or concerns about these amendments, please reach out so that we can assist you.

Thank you!

/CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, announced amendments to the Prohibition on the Purchase of...

02/17/2023

One of Highfield Law Office's former summer students was admitted to the bar today. Congratulations to Kim Rae Stone! Your achievements have been nothing short of stellar and I anticipate great things for you in the future.

02/16/2023

Hello!

You may have read about a new law that came into effect earlier this year restricting property purchases to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or Indigenous people (with a few exceptions). Officially, it is the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act, and while there are exceptions (for non-citizens or non-PRs to buy property), these exceptions are fairly strict and rigid.

If you are not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or Indigenous person, and if you wish to buy property, we STRONGLY RECOMMEND obtaining legal advice before entering into any purchase contract/agreement. Should you agree to purchase a property and find out afterwards that you are prohibited from buying it, you would be held liable for breach of contract; likewise, should you proceed with the purchase even though you do not qualify, you (and essentially anyone who helped you with the purchase) may face significant consequences and penalties as a result.

Again, this does not affect anyone who is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or Indigenous person; they are free to buy property without any such concerns or restrictions.

For those that are curious and wish to read through it all, the Act and its Regulations can be found here:
- https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-25.2/page-1.html
- https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2022-250/page-1.html
The Regulations discuss the exceptions in detail.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out.

Thank you!