Monitoring and negotiating Official Town Plan increases future land value.
In the process of investigating an addition to a retail building, Victor discovered that the Town was planning a major change to their Official Plan - a change that would downgrade his client's property by designating a significant portion of it school and park land. With the aid of expert legal advice, Victor negotiated the cancellation of the Official Plan Amendment and participated in the development of a new plan which dramatically increased the future value of his client's land.

Brokered deal increases value for property owner while protecting the environment.
A client's estate contained a major woodlot that the municipality wanted to preserve yet there was no legal way to do so. The client was going through a draft planning process to prepare his land for sale - a process the municipality could hinder. Victor brokered a deal whereby the Municipality gained ownership of the woodlot for $1 in return for an Official Plan amendment which increased the value of his client's estate. A win-win-win for the public, the property owner and the environment!

Understanding market demand preserves valley, produces better urban design and makes project more profitable in a recession.
A client with plans for a commercial strip plaza on a ravine location was being hindered by the local Conservation Authority. It was Victor's responsibility to gain approval for the project. However, after assessing the declining market for commercial properties and a need for assisted-living housing in the area he suggested, negotiated and gained approval for a non-profit housing project that was more marketable for his client, better served the needs of the community and preserved the valley.

Homeowner benefits by going more slowly!
A property owner was advised by his lawyer to participate in a neighbouring developer's rezoning process. This looked, on the face of it, like it would save his client money. What Victor discovered was that the City was planning to install a major sewer along the homeowners' road frontage and was seeking a road widening for free in return for the rezoning, which the City would be entitled to under the Planning Act. Victor successfully withdrew his client from the rezoning application, forcing the City to pay market value for the road widening. The sewer was subsequently built and the area rezoned in the homeowners' favour.

Builder can't understand why the lots he paid for aren't forthcoming.
A contract is a contract - except when there is a dispute and a lot of money involved! A successful GTA builder contracted with a developer to buy 85 lots. The builder was later advised that the developer was cancelling the contract because he was unable to fulfil the conditions of draft approval by the City. The lawyer for the builder retained Victor to do some forensic planning investigation. Victor discovered that the developer was indeed unable to fulfil one of the conditions in the purchase and sale agreement. However, he also learned from interviews and city files that this information was widely known at the time the developer entered into the contract and that there had never been a reasonable expectation that the contract's terms could be fulfilled. It was surmised that the developer was anxious to sell initially but when land values almost doubled in the interim, he tried to invalidate the contract by legal manoeuvring. Due to information uncovered by Victor and a law suit claiming damages for entering into a contract in bad faith, the developer eventually settled with the builder.