c/edmonton-legal-advice

I finally took my landlord to the LTB over a $1200 deposit dispute

My old landlord in Edmonton kept my whole damage deposit saying I ruined the carpet, but I had photos from move-in showing it was already stained. After 4 months of waiting, the board forced him to pay me back plus $50 for filing fees. Has anyone else had a landlord try to pull that trick with a security deposit?

That chat with my landlord changed how I look at rental agreements

I was talking to my landlord Steve last week about renewing my lease near Whyte Ave. He casually mentioned that a lot of tenants don't realize the standard lease form has optional clauses you can actually negotiate. I thought I was locked into everything on that paper, like the no-pets rule and the 60-day notice to move out. He said most people just sign without reading the fine print on maintenance responsibilities or subletting rules. It hit me that I've been treating these contracts like they're set in stone when they're really just starting points. Now I'm wondering if I can ask him to drop the pet ban for my cat without messing up our relationship. Has anyone else tried negotiating a clause on their Alberta lease and actually got it changed?

Spent $600 on a paralegal for a landlord dispute and it actually paid off

My landlord tried to keep my whole damage deposit over some normal wear and tear on the carpet. I was about to just let it go but my buddy said talk to a paralegal first. Found one in Edmonton who charged $600 flat to write a demand letter and handle the emails. Landlord folded after two weeks and I got $1,200 back. Has anyone else here used a paralegal for small housing claims instead of going straight to court?

Rant: DIY vs lawyer for a simple eviction notice cost me $800 more

I tried handling a tenant eviction myself last spring in Edmonton. Saved maybe $300 on the lawyer fee but messed up the notice format and timeline. The tenant fought it and I had to start over from scratch. By the time I got it right and paid the lawyer to fix it, I was out $1,100 total instead of $300. Has anyone else learned this lesson the hard way with landlord stuff?

Took 6 months to settle a neighbor fence dispute in Edmonton

My neighbor put up a new fence right on the property line without talking to me first. I found out the city has a 2 meter setback rule for fences over 6 feet tall, so I had to file a complaint with the city planning department. Went back and forth with him for months through mediation, which cost me $300 in fees. Eventually the city ordered him to move the fence back 18 inches, but it took a full 6 months from start to finish. Has anyone else had a property line fight drag out that long?

That rental agreement clause about pets got me evicted anyway

I moved into a place in Edmonton last January that said cats were okay with a $300 deposit. Paid it, got it in writing, thought I was covered. Then the landlord hit me with a notice saying the condo board banned all pets retroactively, and there was some fine print about "board rules override" that I missed. Has anyone else run into this where the lease says one thing but some hidden clause trumps it?

Between tenant insurance and lawyer fees, I picked wrong

I skimped on tenant insurance last year to save $25 a month, then my basement flooded and the landlord's lawyer hit me with a $4,200 bill for damages. Anyone else had to choose between coverage and legal costs when renting in Edmonton?

Found out eviction notices need 30 days in Edmonton, not the 14 my landlord claimed

I was about to move out after my landlord texted saying I had two weeks to leave, but then a friend who works at the Landlord and Tenant Board showed me the Residential Tenancies Act says 30 days minimum for month-to-month. Turns out he was trying to rush me out because he had a new tenant lined up for more rent. Has anyone else caught a landlord pulling a shorter timeline than the law actually requires?

I finally started reading the fine print on rental agreements

I used to just skim through lease papers and sign without really looking. But last month when I was moving into a place near Whyte Ave, the landlord pointed out a clause about snow removal costing extra. That made me actually go through the whole thing, and I found a few surprise fees I would have missed. Now I read every section before I sign anything. Has anyone else found hidden stuff in their Edmonton rental contracts?

Tried small claims court over a $200 fence dispute in Edmonton and got a lesson in filing fees

My neighbor's dog tore up my fence last summer, so I filed in Edmonton small claims court for the repair cost. I learned the filing fee is $100 to start, and you need to serve papers properly or they throw it out. Spent $60 on a process server, and the judge ruled in my favor but only awarded me the repair cost minus my own time. Has anyone else dealt with the hassle of actually collecting from someone who doesn't pay up after a ruling?

Rant: Small claims court over a fence dispute in Edmonton cost me time and money

I filed a claim for $2,000 after my neighbor built a fence 2 feet onto my property, but the judge said I needed a land survey as proof even though I had photos. That survey cost me $1,200 on top of the filing fee. Has anyone else had a property dispute here that wasn't worth taking to court?

Seen too many people sign agreements at family law intake without reading the fine print

I used to work as a paralegal in Edmonton and noticed most folks just skim the first page of their mediation agreement. One guy signed a clause giving away rights to his pension without realizing it, and that cost him about $40,000. Has anyone else run into a nasty surprise from a form they thought was standard?

Finally got my neighbor's fence dispute sorted without a lawyer

Honestly, I spent 3 months going back and forth with my neighbor over a property line that was off by 2 feet according to the city survey. I kept seeing people on here jump straight to filing a lawsuit or paying lawyers $300 an hour, but I just took him the official land title and the survey map from Edmonton's open data portal. We sat down with coffee, walked the line with measuring tape, and agreed to split the cost of a new fence marker. Has anyone else had luck solving boundary stuff without involving lawyers?

Feedback from a landlord tenant hearing that changed how I document everything

I had a landlord tenant dispute hearing about 2 years ago here in Edmonton. The arbitrator basically told me that my word against theirs wasn't worth much without paper trails. She specifically said "if you didn't write it down or take a photo, it didn't happen" during a break. So I started keeping a binder with dated entries for every repair request, inspection, and communication. Now I even snap time-stamped photos of the mailbox after I send notice letters. Has anyone else had a similar wake up call about documentation from a legal situation?

Chose the cheapest lawyer I could find for my traffic ticket

I went with the $500 flat rate guy over the $1500 specialist for a 50km/h over ticket last month, and now I've got a court date that's somehow two days before my vacation starts. Has anyone else gambled on a budget lawyer and regretted it?

Lawyer missed a filing deadline by 1 day should I push for a refund

I hired a lawyer in Edmonton for a small claims dispute back in March. He was supposed to file a response by the 15th but he filed on the 16th. The other side tried to get a default judgment but the judge let it slide with a warning. I paid him $1200 upfront for that work. He says the case moved forward so no harm done. I think I paid for a service he didn't deliver on time. The other side's lawyer is now using this as ammo in settlement talks. Has anyone else dealt with a lawyer missing a deadline in Edmonton and got a partial refund?

Question about fighting a parking ticket from the City of Edmonton

Saw a guy at the courthouse last week who got $150 knocked off his ticket just by asking for a review, has anyone else here actually had luck disputing one of those camera van tickets?

Paid $800 for a paralegal to review my lease - best money I ever spent or total waste?

So I was about to sign a commercial lease for my shop and the landlord threw in all these clauses about maintenance, property tax adjustments, and renewal terms. I figured I could read it myself, but my buddy said I was crazy. Dropped $800 on a paralegal who specializes in commercial leases in Edmonton. She found 3 things that would have cost me way more down the road - like a clause saying I pay for HVAC repairs even if it's the system just dying of old age. On the flip side, my neighbor signed a similar lease without a lawyer and he's been fine for 5 years. So was I smart or just paranoid? Anyone else pay for legal help and feel like you got burned or saved?

Rental agreement dispute over a broken furnace in January

Our heat went out on a -30 day in Edmonton back in January. Landlord said it wasn't urgent because we had space heaters. I looked up the Residential Tenancy Act and found out they have to fix heat within 24 hours. Sent a formal notice and suddenly a repair guy showed up next morning. Has anyone else had to push back on a landlord about essential repairs here?

My landlord tried to evict me over a broken mailbox lock last December in Edmonton

He claimed I was 'damaging property' but the lock was rusted from 10 years of use, not my fault. Has anyone else had a landlord pull a bogus eviction notice over something minor like that?

Why does nobody warn you about filing a police report for stolen packages in Edmonton

Had a package swiped off my porch near Whyte Ave last month, so I went to the EPS station on 82 Ave to file a report. They told me they don't actually investigate stolen packages unless it's over $5000 in value, which caught me off guard. So now I just send a claim to the shipper first instead of bothering with the cops. Has anyone else gotten the runaround from EPS on this?

Wasted $400 on a traffic ticket lawyer who did nothing

Honestly, I got a speeding ticket on the Henday back in March and panicked. Hired a lawyer for $400 who said they'd get it reduced to no demerits. They just filed a plea by mail without even talking to me first. I still got the same fine and demerits. Anyone else feel like these ticket lawyers just cash the check and move on?

Compared two Edmonton real estate lawyers for a house closing and one was way better

Lost $800 on a traffic lawyer who didn't even show up to court

Hired this guy off a recommendation from a coworker back in March for a speeding ticket in the 50 zone on Stony Plain Road. Paid him $800 upfront. Day of court comes and he's not there. Judge calls his name three times. Nothing. Ended up having to represent myself and got the full fine anyway. Has anyone else had a lawyer just bail on them like that? Thinking about small claims but not sure if it's worth it.

Warning: That landlord-tenant 'expert' at the coffee shop gave me bad advice

Ngl, I almost got evicted after listening to some guy at Remedy Cafe on Whyte Ave. He told me I could withhold rent over a broken furnace without doing the proper forms first. I followed his advice for 2 months and got a 14-day eviction notice. Had to scramble to find a real paralegal who sorted it out, but it cost me $800 in late fees. Anyone else get burned by bad advice from strangers in this city?