Public articles
High-risk areas for pyrite: Broker responsibilities
Pyrite issues have been identified in cities of the Greater Montreal area. The OACIQ urges real estate brokers to inform their clients of the problems related to pyrite and to recommend the specific actions described below.
Contaminated soil, dry rot, radon, cannabis, etc.: How to protect yourself
During a real estate transaction, whether you're a seller or buyer, how can you be sure you are giving or getting a clear picture about the possibility that the property is located on a former landfill site or that it is affected by radon, pyrite, dry rot, etc.?
Natural disasters: Impacts on the Promise to purchase
Your property or the property you are considering to purchase has sustained damage following a natural disaster? Here are the answers to some questions you may ask.
Properties located on former landfill sites: clarifications by the OACIQ
Following a report on the program La Facture on September 18, 2018, the OACIQ would like to make the following clarifications.
Dry rot: what you need to know
Serpula lacrymans – commonly known as dry rot and often referred to as a “building cancer” – is a destructive fungus that attacks timber in residential buildings, leading the wood to decompose and decay.
How to prevent radon from affecting your real estate transaction
Radon can build up in a home. Here’s how to prevent radon problems before a transaction.
Transaction involving a flooded property: Three things to know
Experiencing a flooding is painful. Due to stress and urgency, an affected homeowner may forget to take certain precautions that could be of great importance during a potential sale.
Aging oil tanks - How to lessen the difficulties they can cause
Insuring an immovable with an oil tank that is aging(1) or has been improperly or inadequately maintained can prove difficult. This in turn could jeopardize a transaction. When selling such an immovable, real estate brokers must be mindful of their duty to inform and advise, which will help reduce the problems that the presence of such a tank can cause.
Notice to the Land Register in case of land contamination
The Environment Quality Act (''the Act'') establishes rules regarding land protection and rehabilitation in case of contamination. It is supplemented by the Land Protection and Rehabilitation Regulation, whose purpose includes setting out the types of industrial or commercial activities that require a particular treatment and establishing contamination limit values beyond which rehabilitation measures must be undertaken.
Pyrite Clause and Percentage: Ban It!
When a promise to purchase provides for a pyrite test and a real estate broker specifies a percentage above which the buyer can withdraw in the clause, the broker can be considered at fault professionally. This practice, which has often been reported to the Organization, presents a serious risk to clients.
Obligations of real estate brokers and agencies: High-risk areas for pyrite
Pyrite is an iron sulphide molecule present in the stone fill used in construction. It may therefore be found around foundation drains and under the concrete slabs of the cellar or the garage. Under certain conditions, pyrite can oxidize and produce a sort of white powder that swells, causing, among other things, the slab to lift and producing cracks in the foundation and partitions. These problems may appear several years after construction.
