Municipal & Expropriation

Businesses and landowners involved in property use or development and real estate transactions inevitably interact with municipal or provincial authorities. The legislative and regulatory schemes are often detailed and complex. Navigating them successfully requires the kind of legal services provided by Eyford Partners.

Our lawyers have successfully represented a diverse spectrum of property owners, including homeowners, developers, and farmers, local and international businesses, local governments, and Crown corporations throughout British Columbia in the areas of municipal, development, and expropriation law. We routinely provide legal advice and representation to clients involved in various matters associated with land use, ownership and development.  These matters include: zoning and subdivision issues, assessments and disputes regarding easements, rights of way, restrictive covenants, and other property boundaries conflicts, business licencing and permitting, building permitting and variance applications, taxation, compensation for public acquisition of private land including via expropriation, and in commercial leasing litigation. Our breadth and depth of experience gives us insight into all sides of an issue and the ability to develop timely, creative, and pragmatic strategies.

Eyford Partners has extensive experience representing clients before municipal councils, administrative tribunals, including Boards of Variance, in negotiations and mediations outside court and, when needed, in court on judicial review, at trial, or on appeal. In doing so, we have developed broad and sophisticated knowledge about key issues affecting our clients. We stay current on legal developments, including amendments to: municipal legislation such as the Local Government Act, the Community Charter, the Vancouver Charter and significant local bylaws like Vancouver’s Vacancy Tax By-law; and legislation affecting land ownership such as the Expropriation Act, Transportation Act, Land Act, and Land Title Act.

Between them, Evan Cooke and Nathalie Baker have forty years of experience advising and representing clients in municipal law and expropriation proceedings. And each remains active in the legal community and profession, with Evan served as President of the British Columbia Expropriation Association from 2013 to 2021, and Nathalie a contributing author of the British Columbia Real Estate Development Practice Manual.