c/edmonton-legal-advice

6

ryan719•20h ago

Overheard a lawyer at a coffee shop say "just lie to the mediator"

I was waiting for my latte at that place on Jasper Ave and this guy in a suit was dead serious telling his friend to lie to get a better divorce settlement. Tbh it made me realize how often people treat legal advice like it's just a game of strategy instead of something with real consequences. Has anyone else caught random legal "tips" in public that sounded totally sketchy?

17

fiona_sullivan29•21h ago

Got stuck with a $2,500 mechanic's lien on my own car, learned something about Alberta workshop laws

So last month a customer left their SUV at my shop for 6 weeks without paying, and I found out we can actually sell their vehicle to recover the cost under the Garage Keepers Lien Act. Drove down to the Edmonton courthouse on 105th Ave to file the paperwork, cost me like $75 just to get the process started. Has anyone else in Edmonton actually gone through with selling a car under a mechanic's lien?

8

jordancoleman•1d ago

That week I had to fight my own tenant board over a simple eviction notice

I tried to evict a tenant who hadn't paid rent in 3 months back in February. Gave them a proper 14 day notice like the law says. But the tenant board in Edmonton kept pushing back saying I didn't file the right paperwork. Had to go to a hearing and show proof of every single interaction. The adjudicator actually told me I missed a checkbox on form 5. Cost me 2 full days of work plus $150 in filing fees. Still waiting on the order to actually remove them. Has anyone else had the tenant board nitpick your paperwork this bad when the tenant clearly broke the rules?

8

johnthompson•3d ago

Neighbor's fence is 2 feet over my property line - any advice?

I measured my lot last week and found my neighbor's chain link fence is about 2 feet onto my side. The guy who lived there before me apparently agreed to it, but I never signed anything. Has anyone in Edmonton dealt with a property line dispute like this before?

6

calebw50•4d ago

Pro tip: That lawyer my buddy recommended at a gas station actually saved me $800

A guy I know from my mail route told me to use this lawyer Dave who works out of a little office near Whyte Ave. I was fighting a traffic ticket that would have cost me $400 and points on my license. Dave got it dropped to a $75 fine with no points. Paid him $200 total. Has anyone else found a good lawyer through word of mouth that worked out better than the big firms?

16

pat_park•4d ago

I finally took a chance on that sketchy traffic lawyer in a strip mall near Southgate

Got a ticket for rolling through a stop sign in Sherwood Park back in February. My buddy swore by this guy who works out of an office next to a donair shop. Looked super shady, no website just a sign in the window. But he got the ticket thrown out for $150 flat fee. Still kinda can't believe it worked. Anybody else have a random lawyer recommendation that actually paid off?

22

ryang77•18d ago

That cheap traffic ticket lawyer cost me $150 and got me nothing

I hired this guy off Kijiji to fight a photo radar ticket in Edmonton, and he charged me $150 upfront. All he did was file a form and then missed the court date, so I got stuck with the fine anyway. I tried to get my money back but he ghosted me, no surprise there. Has anyone else had luck with those budget legal services around town?

25

the_tessa•21d ago

Had to choose between a real lawyer and a notary for a neighbor dispute in Edmonton last month

My neighbor's fence fell onto my yard and I had to decide between hiring a paralegal for $150 an hour or a full lawyer for $350. I went with the paralegal at 124th Street Legal Services and honestly it worked fine for the small claims issue. The judge ruled in my favor and I only paid $600 total out of pocket. Has anyone else taken a cheaper route like that and had it backfire?

27

lily360•22d ago

Caught myself signing a contract without reading the fine print again

I was about to sign a lease renewal for my apartment in Edmonton last week and almost missed a clause about a $200 fee for late garbage tag pickups. My landlord laughed and said 'you really should read this stuff' when I pointed it out. Turns out I've been skimming legal docs for years and this was the first time someone actually called me on it. Has anyone else ever had a landlord or company slip something weird into a contract that you only caught by accident?

29

the_uma•24d ago

That old notary near Jasper Ave closed down, made me think

I walked by that little notary office on 104 Street last week and saw it was shuttered for good. The guy who ran it, Mr. Kowalski, used to charge $20 per document and knew everyone by name. Now I'm stuck going to those chain places near Southgate that charge $50 and rush you through. Anyone else miss the old school legal places that actually felt like part of the neighborhood?

12

elliot_grant38•26d ago

Small claims trick that saved me $500 on a contractor dispute

I had a contractor bail on a deck job halfway through and wanted my deposit back. The lawyer I talked to wanted $200 an hour just to send a letter. I filed a small claims notice myself using the online portal and suddenly the guy called me back within 2 days. Turns out most contractors will settle fast when they see a court date because they don't want the paper trail. Has anyone else had luck just threatening small claims on their own?

13

miles277•26d ago

Compared a lawyer vs a paralegal for a simple traffic thing and saved $300

Honestly got a speeding ticket out near St. Albert last month and figured I'd just call a lawyer like everyone says. First quote was $650 flat fee plus court costs. That felt steep for going 15 over. My buddy owns a tree service too and said he always uses this paralegal downtown Edmonton near the courthouse for his company trucks. I was skeptical but figured why not. The paralegal charged $350 and handled everything. I just showed up once signed a paper and the ticket got reduced to a no demerit fine. Same outcome the lawyer would have gotten me but for half the money. Has anyone else tried paralegals for smaller stuff like this or is it risky for bigger cases?

11

gavincampbell•26d ago

PSA: That free legal clinic at George's own office changed my mind on small claims

Overheard a paralegal there say most people lose because they don't have the right documents, not because their case is weak. Made me realize I need to prep my receipts and texts before even filing, not just show up and wing it. Anyone else find a good template for small claims statements in Edmonton?

24

johnthompson•27d ago

Paid $350 for a traffic lawyer in Edmonton and it was worth every penny

Got a speeding ticket on the Anthony Henday doing 20 over and almost just paid the fine. A lawyer I found through the Edmonton Legal Advice group charged me $350 flat to handle it and got it reduced to no demerits. Anyone else had luck with specific traffic lawyers around here?

9

shanel13•1mo ago

Just realized most people are getting the wrong kind of lawyer for traffic tickets

I see it all the time in this sub... someone gets a speeding ticket in Edmonton and immediately hires a big criminal defense firm. But for a simple photo radar or red light ticket you really just need a ticket specialist. I learned this the hard way after paying $400 to a lawyer downtown who barely touched my case. Has anyone else noticed how many people overcomplicate these minor infractions?

15

william_taylor•1mo ago

That notary who didn't check ID - caught it right before signing

Almost signed a statutory declaration with a notary who never asked for my ID. Just nodded and handed me the stamp. What do you do if a notary skips the basics like that?

24

charles_chen93•1mo ago

Blew off my lawyer's advice to settle a noise complaint for $500

My landlord took me to tribunal over my drum practice and now I'm on the hook for $1,200 in fines and legal costs because I thought I could argue my way out of it, has anyone ever had a lawyer give them bad advice that was actually good?

6

paulhernandez•1mo ago

My dad's old lawyer buddy in Edmonton gave me bad advice about a speeding ticket

Back in 2018 I got a 50-over ticket on the Anthony Henday. My dad's friend, a lawyer who retired in the 90s, told me to just plead guilty and ask for a reduction in person. I did that at the Edmonton Law Courts and the judge barely listened, still hit me with the full fine $368 and 4 demerits. A coworker later told me to get a traffic ticket specialist, they got his same charge dropped to 15 over. Anyone else had an old timer's legal advice backfire on them?

19

paul_thompson67•1mo ago

That eviction notice I got wasn't even legal - here's what the tenant board told me

Last month my landlord slapped an eviction notice on my door giving me 14 days to get out. I panicked and called the Edmonton tenant board hotline, turns out the notice didn't even have the right form number on it. The lady on the phone said over 60% of eviction notices in Alberta get thrown out for technical errors like missing dates or wrong sections. I showed up to the hearing with that info and the adjudicator tossed it in like 10 minutes. Has anyone else caught their landlord messing up paperwork like this?

22

xenarobinson•1mo ago

Got screwed by a landlord who didn't fix the heat for 3 weeks in January

I was renting this old place near Whyte Avenue in Edmonton last winter. The furnace went out on December 28th when it was -30 outside. I called the landlord, he said he'd send someone. Nobody came for a week. I kept calling, left messages, nothing. Finally I went to the Alberta Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service and filed a complaint. The hearing was fast, like 10 days later. The guy showed up and claimed I never told him. But I had all my texts and call logs. The adjudicator ordered him to fix it in 48 hours and gave me a $400 rent abatement. Honestly, I should have pushed harder sooner instead of freezing for so long. Has anyone else dealt with a landlord who just ignores you during a real emergency?

18

wesley139•1mo ago

My neighbor's fence dispute ended up costing me $2,400 in legal fees last spring

I put up a new fence between our yards in Edmonton back in March, but the neighbor claimed it was 6 inches onto his property and hired a lawyer. After going back and forth for months, I paid for a land survey that showed I was actually on the right side the whole time. Has anyone else dealt with boundary disagreements here and found a cheaper way to resolve them before lawyers get involved?

5

lopez.brooke•1mo ago

Needed a simple estate will and a lawyer charged me $800 flat fee in Edmonton

Sat down for what I thought was a 30 minute chat but the lawyer spent an hour explaining probate fees and basically upsold me on a trust I didn't need, has anyone else had a lawyer try to push extras during a basic will meeting?

15

ryan719•1mo ago

My landlord tried to evict me over a pet goldfish named Bubbles

I called the Edmonton Community Legal Centre for a free consult instead of just arguing with him. They pointed me to the specific bylaw about 'common household pets' and I showed him the printout. Has anyone else had a landlord freak out over something this small?

20

hugo236•1mo ago

I finally got my landlord to fix a broken lock by sending a specific letter

My apartment door lock in Oliver Square was busted for almost a month and my landlord kept ignoring my texts. A friend told me to send a formal letter citing the 'Residential Tenancies Act' and giving them 14 days to fix it, sent by registered mail. I did that last Tuesday, and a repair guy showed up on day 13. Has anyone else in Edmonton had to use this approach for other repairs, like a leaking faucet or a broken oven?

14

christopher_flores46•1mo ago

Spending $400 for a proper property line survey before my fence build saved me from a huge dispute with my neighbor.

My neighbor was sure the old wire marked the boundary, but the survey showed it was off by almost two feet into his yard, so what's the most common property line mistake you see people make here?