About Raymond G. Leclair
Ray Leclair joined LAWPRO in June of 2008 in the role of Vice President, TitlePLUS, and as of May, 2012 became Vice President, Public Affairs.
Formerly General Counsel for the Kanata Research Park Corporation, Ray has practised in both major national law firms and as a sole practitioner, and was a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa Law School and Cité Collégiale instructing the French language portion of the real estate law course. He also served for 15 years as the Ottawa senior instructor for the French and English Real Estate Sections of the Bar Admission Course and member of the Law Society of Upper Canada’s Solicitor Advisory Group, Licensing Process.
Called to the bar in 1984, Ray is member of the Ontario Bar Association Council, executive member of CBA’s National Sections Council. He is a member of the Working Group on Lawyers & Real Estate, President of the Ontario Real Estate Lawyers Association (ORELA), and volunteer’s as Manager of the fundraiser TOM* MensFashion4Hope and a VIP & Sponsor Relations Officer for Toronto Men’s Fashion Week (TOM*).
Raymond G. Leclair's Posts
Operators of short-term rentals in Toronto must register prior to December 31, 2020
Lawyers should be aware of the new short-term rental rules in the City of Toronto in order to advise clients who may be buying a property with the intent of short-term rental. Only registered operators can short-term rent in Toronto. The valid City-issued registration number must be included in all advertised listings (in the format:… Read More »
Categories: Real EstateNEW Registration Process for Paper Documents (Land Registry)
Further to the earlier notice the Director of Titles has provided instructions on how the registration process will function after the closing of the registry office counters as of October 13, 2020. This process will be in effect until Teranet builds online enhancements to OnLand and Teraview to allow paper documents to be submitted online…. Read More »
Categories: Real EstateFederal limitation periods extended
The federal government has passed legislation suspending federal limitation periods from March 13, 2020 to September 13, 2020, or any earlier day fixed by order of the Governor in Council made on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice. The Time Limits and Other Periods Act (COVID-19) was introduced as a Schedule to An Act… Read More »
Categories: Limitations ClaimsNew rules for virtual signing and the winding down of remote signings of wills and powers of attorney
As Ontario continues to respond to COVID-19, the temporary provisions permitting the virtual witnessing of wills and powers of attorney are being wound down. However, the government has introduced new legislation and related regulations to permit the virtual commissioning of oaths or declarations. Remote Virtual Signing of Wills and Powers of Attorney The Reopening Ontario… Read More »
Categories: Announcements, Real Estate, Law Practice ManagementPlanning Act Emergency Period Suspension Calculator
[NEW revised calculator, please only use the September 24, 2020 version] COVID-19 interrupted the timelines for numerous matters, including many proceedings under the Planning Act. Originally time periods under the Planning Act were suspended based on the general Emergency Period; they were subsequently addressed separately. All time suspensions regarding the Planning Act ceased on June… Read More »
Categories: Real EstateFirm websites being impersonated by fraudsters
LAWPRO has heard from a number of Ontario lawyers that their firm websites have been copied by fraudsters to further their schemes, such as the “inheritance from a long-lost relative” scam or immigration scams overseas. While we have seen these impersonation scams for over a year now, there seems to be another spike lately, perhaps… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionClosing of Registry Office locations as of this Thanksgiving
The Director of Titles has advised that all service counters of all 54 registry offices (Land Titles and Registry) will be closing. There will be a trial period commencing this Thanksgiving with full implementation as of 2021. All registrations will be done via software, email or courier, with full details to be provided later. Most… Read More »
Categories: Real EstateLenders accepting wire payments to discharge mortgages.
The practice of delivering certified cheques or bank drafts to lenders to pay off mortgages has been made more difficult with the restrictions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. The real estate bar has been asking financial institutions to permit them to pay off client’s mortgages using wire payments in residential purchase and sale transactions. It… Read More »
Categories: Real Estate, Technology