Chapter 5 Professional Liability Of Mortgage Brokers Flashcards
What statute in BC imposes liability on an occupier of premises for injury suffered by those entering the premises?
The Occupiers Liability Act imposes liability on an occupier of premises for injury suffered by those entering the premises in BC.
Conducting a series of property flips at increasing prices to inflate the apparent value of a property, in order to obtain a mortgage based on the inflated value, is known as VALUE FRAUD
Name two types of mortgage fraud that are the most prevalent
Identity Fraud
Value Fraud
The Competition Act is a Federal statute designed to eliminate privately imposed restraints on trade, encourage competition, ensure that small and medium businesses can compete with large corporations and to provide consumers with competitive prices and product choices in BC
The Competition Act is a Federal Statute.
Mortgage fraud is a criminal offence in Canada
True
Section 380(1) Criminal Code
Section 334
NEGLIGENCE is a legal term for the failure to use such care as a reasonable and prudent person would use under similar circumstances; it is doing of some act which a person of ordinary prudence would not have done under similar circumstances or failure to what a person of ordinary prudence would have done under similar circumstances.
Negligence
The Competition Act contains both civil and criminal offences
True
What is Tort?
1) a private wrong or injury including breach of contract, for which court will provide a remedy in form of an action for damages
2) a private wrong or injury, other than breach of contract, for which the court will provide a remedy in the form of an action for damages
3) a breach of contract that will not be able to be tried in court as it did not result in injury
4) a breach of contract that will be eligible to be tried in court as it did result in injury.
Answer
2) a private wrong or injury, other than breach of contract, for which the court will provide a remedy in the form of an action for damages
What is private nuisance?
A private nuisance occurs when an owner or occupier of land unreasonably and substantially interferes with the reasonable use and enjoyment of a neighbouring property
A type of fraud where one impersonates the registered owner of a certain piece of property in order to secure a mortgage against the property is known as Identity Fraud
What does the legal principle of negligent misrepresentation provide?
Negligent misrepresentation provides that if, in the ordinary course of business:
- a person seeks information or advice from another who possesses special skills in circumstances in which a reasonable person would know that his special skills were being relied upon, and the person asked chooses to give the advice without clearly qualifying his answer , then he accepts legal duty to exercise such care as the circumstances require. If he is incorrect, he maybe liable.
Under the Competition Act, two major brokerage agreeing to set certain fees for specific services is an example of an _______ _______ _______ _______ _______.
An example of an (Agreement In Restraint Trade. )
The Tort of Deceit is similar to the concept of negligent misrepresentation
True
The Tort of Deceit is similar to the concept of fraudulent misrepresentation, which applies to the law of contract
Which of the following best describes deceit?
1) the legal term for the granting of a lease
2) a document used to transfer land from one party to another.
3. a fraudulent misrepresentation used by one person to trick another who is ignorant of the true facts.
4) a situation where a person is forced into a contract against his will with the threat of physical force or imprisonment
Answer
3) a fraudulent misrepresentation used by one person to trick another who is ignorant of the true facts.
Is the fact nuisance caused by an individual is beneficial to the public a valid defence at law.
No, it is defence to say that the act complained of in a nuisance action is beneficial to the public
Define Trespass?
Trespass is a legal term for wrongfully entering, remaining on, or placing something on another’s land.
If a mortgage broker breaches the duty of utmost good faith to his client, the mortgage broker breached a Fiduciary Duty..
Fiduciary Duty.
Law and Equity Act (section 59)
In most cases, a contract dealing witg Real Estate SHOULD BE IN WRITING to be enforcible.
If the contract is not in writing it does NOT mean it is:
- Void
- Voidable
- Illegal
It only means it is probably hard to enforce.
Exceptions to Section 59 Law & Equity Act. .i.e. No Written Agreements
Thing to remember if one of the parties altered their position then usually court can enforce contract. (Ex. Paid deposit or made upgrade ir Repairs to property)
- Seller disputing oral agreement but buyer can prove he made a deposit. This would indicate there was a contract. If this happened, and there is a duspute. Judge will ask show the contract. Show proof of depost.
- Buyer says interested in property asked seller to spend money to upgrade home and he will buy. Seller relied on buyer and did the upgrade. Not in written. It could be proved a verbal agreement existed. Judge will say you relied on buyer and spent money. Judge
- Does not apply to Less than 3 yrs lease for Commercial Tenancies. You don’t need contract. Anything more than 3 years a contract is required an Interest in Land is created. Does not apply to leases of 3 years or less as
a) no interest in land created for leases 3yrs or less
b) verbal contracts are enforceable to protect tenants.
Remedies when no written contract
Court has power to enforce the oral contract
If court cannot enforce the contract, the court can:
Deposit be returned
Compensation can be ordered
Legal fees can be reimbursed
Competition Act Section 45
RESTRAINT OF TRADE
You are in violation if you:
a) to fix, maintain, increase or CONTROL THE PRICE.
b) to allocate sales, territories, customers or markets for supply of products
c) to Fix, control, the production or supply
of product.
Guilty if inditable offence, 14 yrs prison, fine upto $25 million
False or Misleading Advertising Competition Act Section 52
You should not “knowingly or recklessly make a representation to the public that is false or misleading in a material respect.
False or Misleading can be:
1/ written or oral representations to the public
2/ the statement must be false or misleading in a material respect
3/ whether the stmt is misleading or whether an INEXPERIENCED person would be misled
4/ to escape liability - must show that you took all the care if a reasonable person and you honestly believed it was true
Competion Act - you can be charged with price fixing
Whether or Not you actually put your agreement in effect.
Ex. If you just planned it but not actioned it you can be charged
What is NEGLIGENCE?
- Failure to Exercise Duty of Care
Negligence involves a “Failure” by a Person to “Exercise Duty of Care” to their client during the course of their business.
Duty of Care (common law)
Under Common law Duty of Care is:
“a legal obligation requiring an individual to adhere to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could foreseeably harm others.”
Foreseeable = Reasonable Anticipate
Negligence what Agent’s are sued for most often:
1/ fails to conduct title search
2/ fails to verify information in the listing agreement
3/ incorrectly ascertains boundaries of a property
4/ fails to provide competent advice on the value of the property
5/ fails to recommend to insert a “subject to financing”
6/ gives an incomplete or misleading estimate of the rental income from a property.
Negligence - 3 things you need to prove
1/ Duty of Care - this creates a situation where there could be harm done to someone (advice could/will be relied upon; and that advice could harm someone)
2/ Standard Duty of Care is breached.
3/ Reasonable Result from the breach - damages or loss suffered from the situation.
Negligence 3 conditions
You gave advice / it was relied upon by the client.
mtg broker did NOT give diff options
it was wrong information/
there were cheaper rates
resulting in losses or damages.
1/ duty of care - reasonably foreseeable
2/ standard of care is breached
3) reasonable result - suffer damages/loss
A defence could be it was “Not Reasonable foreseeable”
Fiduciary Duty - what is it?
Fiduciary Duty - is Utmost duty of care
1/ Relationship is confidential
2/ Full Disclosure (must give all information you know)
3/ Duty of utmost good faith
4/ Advantageous price (get them best price)
Negligence Misrepresentation = Careless
DONT NEED A CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP FOR THIS TO HAPPEN
1/ must be an untrue statement
2/ it must have been made negligently
3/ must be a special relationship giving rise to a duty of care, but no need for a contractual relationship
4/ must be reasonable reliance by the plaintiffs on the negligent statement
You do not need to know that the statement is FALSE but know advice can be relied upon
——Damages/ Loss must arise from the reliance——-
What was said:
- Maybe either Fact or opinion
- Reasonably relied upon
- Made no disclaimer
Fraudulent (Pinocchio) Misrepresentation = Deceit
Moral Fraud / Knowingly lied. Knew Statement is False.
You do not need to be an expert to be liable.
Can be sued under Tort law and/ Contract law.
Tort means wrongdoing.
Ways to protect Yourself
1/ Refuse to give Advice. If you don’t know just say do.
2/ give a clear qualification- “do not rely on my opinion “
3/ Damages / loss result wasn’t reasonably foreseeable.
Assess Negligence Situation by:
1/ Does Duty of Care Apply
2/ Have you breached this Duty of Care?
3/ did it result in damages
Identity Fraud
Create Fake letter of employment
Fraudulent transfer of property title to your name
Ask someone you know to be your employer.
Value Fraud
Value fraud in mortgage transactions involve an artificial price of a piece of property.
Vicarious Liability
Where an employee commits a wrongful act in the ordinary course of employment, the injured party can sue both the employee and employer for damages caused by the employee’s act; BUT if the act does NOT know occur in the course of employment, the employer will not be liable.
As an agent you are working for the Brokerage, the company and yourself could be both sued
If not done during business hours than company not responsible.
Vicarious Performance
The concept whereby the legal obligations upon a third party in a contract are performed by a third party, with the liability for performance remaining with the particular contractual party.
Vicarious Performance is NOT in the case of Personal Contract or Assignment. Under Assignment (sub-contractor)
Ex. A builder can require an employee or a sub contractor to perform its obligations under a building construction agreement.