You have probably heard the real estate legal terminology "minor variance" from time to time. Once thing to know right away is that the term "minor" is not always taken literally. It refers to a request made of the local municipality to make a variance of a by-law that may be necessary to make a change or bring a present condition into being legal. A simple example of this may be that a current legal bylaw requires that a home be situated 4 feet from a property line. Should the home be only 3 feet then it would require a "minor variance" of 1 foot, which for all intents and purposes would be granted since no one would require or expect the home or the lot line to be moved. The most significant thing in this case is the application fee, which is about $300 together with attendance at a regularly scheduled hearing. Where a "minor variance" would not be taken as literal terminology is in the case of a severance to create a lot that is say - 30 feet wide when the by-law requires 50 feet. In this case a 20-foot variance may seem "major" however if the lots in the surrounding area were 30 - 35 feet then the variance would likely be granted. When buying a home that may require a variance it is best to obtain legal advise and your real estate agent may refer you also to professionals that deal with planning issues. Home Agents Corner Buyers & Sellers Real Estate Library HelpFULL Links Contact Us Toll free: 1-866-BUY-IREX (1-866-289-4739) © 2000 - 2003 iREx Corp. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this real estate web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use, which contain important information about the limits of our responsibility for the accuracy of information you obtain from links featured in this site, your Privacy, and the use of trademarks. Click on "Terms of Use" to read them, print them for your records, or download them.
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