Messages

1

Questions and Answers / Re: Contaminated Land

« on: November 27, 2012, 05:18:38 PM »

Dig a little more into the city's archived documents and found out there are a lot of brownfield in the city and they are part of former foundry, former armoury etc., very likely the sites up for tax sale are part of them. A similar size former foundry site (it's hard to tell just by look, the land is levelled, and with grass) as estimated by the city will cost $500,000 for remedy on top of ESA I & II costs.

If there is no buyer after a couple of tax sales, the city have to vest it then it becomes the city's responsibility to clean it. You can make an offer at this point to the city because they have more brownfield in hand than they can deal with. And the city will pay your ESA costs, give you grant to clean it even wave your development costs. 

Apparently there are other contaminated sites up for tax sale now, topped with crown lien, like the one in eastern Ontario. 

2

Questions and Answers / Re: Contaminated Land

« on: November 22, 2012, 03:56:35 PM »

Thanks everyone for the great info.

I am asking because there are a few lands currently up for tax sale, which are all owned by the same company in scrap business. Those lands have been in the company's possession for quite a while. I won't be surprised if there is soil contamination or scrap burial in some of those lands. Walk on site thoroughly and close up visual inspection should be helpful if you are not caught trespassing . PM me if you need more details.

3

Questions and Answers / Contaminated Land

« on: November 21, 2012, 06:41:06 PM »

If a land is contaminated, is this contamination registered on title? Dave mentioned in another post that there were 100,000 tires buried in an eastern Ontario rural land up for tax sale, was this information showed on title search?

I checked the Ontario Land Registry government website, and it says that "Environmental warnings and restrictions are not title related and as such are not acceptable for registration in the land registration system as documents..." This includes ground contamination.

If contamination is not registered on title, where is this information kept? or the only way to find out is by obtaining an environmental audit?

Your first hand information is appreciated.

4

Introduce Yourself / Re: 1st Timer

« on: November 08, 2012, 04:24:02 PM »

The vast majority of sales in Ontario are by sealed tenders.  O.Reg 181/03, which are the set of rules that Municipalities must follow in conducting these sales, also provides in Part III for sales to be held by public auction.  I believe only St. Thomas (could be wrong, but it is a municipality in that neck of the woods can't bother to look it up) has held these sales by public auction in the past.  Haven't seen any in the last couple of years.   If you are a fan of 'Storage Wars', I believe you would love this kind of set up....I can hear Dave2  now....YYYYYUUUUUPPPPP.  and of course I would play the part of Barry, always drives up in a fancy car(borrowed or rented, never owned), and goes home with nothing or less.

As I can remember, there are at least another two Sale of Land by Public Auction this year, one was in the County of Huron, waterfront house and farm with acreage, the waterfront was very close to Goderich where I had a project. Both canceled just before the auction in July. Another one was in Dutton/Dunwich near Windsor. My partner went there in person and had a good talk with the treasurer. It was sold to a local developer for good bucks if I didn't remember wrong.

Like Frank said, if you like auction style, get your number ready and yell loud .... YYYYYUUUUUPPPPP.