Beverly Carter and the Notary Team would like to wish all the fathers out there a Happy Father’s Day this Sunday.

We understand the responsibility that is put on you when becoming a father. Therefore, we just wanted to take the time and thank all the fathers around the world for all the hard work they have done for their children.

Victoria Helmink was commissioned June 2 in the BC Supreme Court as a BC Notary. As part of becoming a Notary, she also earned a Master’s Degree in Applied Legal Studies from SFU. She will continue to work with Beverly as a staff Notary. Her family, friends and the Notary Team are all so thrilled with her accomplishments. We all congratulate Vicky on her success and new role.

It is truly amazing to see Vicky complete her 7-year journey of becoming a Notary and now open a new chapter of her life.

Vicky’s mother, grandmother and Beverly all attended a heartwarming intimate ceremony in the Vancouver Supreme Court. As Vicky and 24 of her cohorts were sworn in by the Chief Justice.

With there being a new second notary, our office hours can now be extended. Our new drop-in hours will be from 8:30-5. Vicky and the Notary Team are looking to help you with your notarization needs so feel free to book an appointment at carternotary.com

As our lives are freeing up and getting back to normal, we are (happily) seeing more parents coming into our Notary office to get child travel consent letters signed. These consent letters demonstrate that a child (minor) has permission to travel outside Canada away from a parent or legal guardian who is not accompanying them. Typically, the child is travelling by a car to the USA or by plane to many places in the world.

Common scenarios we see are where one parent is travelling but the other is not. However, the minor child may be travelling without both parents. Or they may be flying on their own. They may also be part of a sports team leaving to get training or play in tournaments. The signed travel consent document may be carried by the child, adult, or coach.

It is normal that children don’t always have the last name of one or both their parents. They may have a double barreled or hyphenated name.  There is now also a trend to name children who have neither parent’s last name.

While the last name is always important to check, it is also important to not forget about middle names in legal documents. For example, proof of vaccine has become a strong travel requirement. There may be a name shown on the original vaccine documentation that is different from the legal passport.  A child may have the legal name Naomi May Lillian Bernstein. However, the vaccine passport may only show three names such as Naomi May Bernstein. While this is the same person, the documents don’t line up and match.

When travelling Beverly recommends these tips to ensure the child is as prepared as possible:

1. Check travel passport against other relevant documents for various versions of the child’s name.
2. If the names are not the same between the passport and vaccine documents, consider an affidavit or a written statement explaining the name variation along with supporting information such as: passport, citizenship, PR, birth certificates, etc.
3. Check the rules in the country where the child is travelling to for that country’s proof of vaccine requirements.
4. Have the parent sign the travel consent letter 2-4 weeks before travelling.
5. Download a scanned version of that signed consent letter onto the phone of the child and the person they are authorized to travel with.
6. Travel with a scanned copy of the child’s birth certificate showing the parents’ full legal names.
7. Travel with copies of any custody or guardianship documents.
8. Where a parent is deceased, take a copy of the deceased parent’s death certificate.

Happy and safe summer travels from Beverly Carter and the Notary Team

For more detail on Child Consent Letters Click Here

Homeowner Grants

Applying for your homeowner grant will look a little different compared to 2020. Starting in 2021, all homeowner grant applications will be done directly through the BC Government using their new online portal. Applications are no longer filed through your local municipality; however, you will still receive the homeowner grant application information along with your notice in May 2022. This change from the BC Government was put into effect in 2021.

As a home owner, our Notary, Beverly Carter, decided to test out the process online and surprisingly thought it was easy! Here are some tips that she thinks will make it easier for other home owners, especially help to better understand the numbering system on your tax notice.

Here is what you need to know about the changes:

• You may apply for your homeowner grant now but it will not be processed until after tax notices have been mailed out.
• BC Government dedicated online portal to apply is here: https://www.etax.gov.bc.ca/btp/HOG/_/
• For people who do not have computer access, the Homeowner Grant Applications may also be done over the phone or at select Service BC centres.
• To apply online you need to have your property information. We have listed below the jurisdiction numbers for the Greater Victoria and South Vancouver Island area:
  • Jurisdiction Number

• For all other areas, link here: https://info.bcassessment.ca/services-and-products/Pages/Assessment-Area-Jurisidiction-List.aspx

• Roll Number/Folio Number. It can be found on your tax notice, or on the BC Assessment property search website.
• Social Insurance Number

After you Apply

• Save your confirmation number. Note: it will also be emailed to you.
• You can check your application status on the BC Government’s website using your confirmation number here: https://www.etax.gov.bc.ca/btp/HOG/_/

Additional Information Regarding Homeowner Grants

• For full grant eligibility your property must be assessed under $1,625,000
• For properties assessed between $1,625,000 and $1,739,000, a partial grant is available *rural properties have a different value
• Capital Regional District (CRD), Metro Vancouver Regional District and the Fraser Valley
  • Basic grant $570
  • Seniors/Veteran/Person with Disabilities: $845
• All other areas of the province:
  • Basic grant: $770
  • Seniors/Veteran/Person with Disabilities: $1045
• Missed claiming your 2020 Homeowner grant application?
  • You may retroactively apply here: https://www.etax.gov.bc.ca/btp/HOG/_/
• Property taxes are always due the 1^st business Tuesday of every July
• Not sure where to locate your property’s jurisdiction or folio number? See the image below to see how you can locate them on BC Assessment’s website.

Questions

Q1: How will I know my homeowner grant has been applied?

A1: You can check the status of your application by calling an agent who will be able to look up your account and let you know if your homeowner grant has been applied to your account.

To speak with an agent you can call 250-387-0555 or toll-free at 1-888-355-2700.

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Q2: What amount do I pay on my tax notice?

A2: The only change to homeowner grants is how you apply. Instead of applying through your municipality you apply directly through the province.

When you receive your property tax notice, you will see three distinct columns with calculated taxes for different eligibilities. Column A- not eligible for the grant, Column B –eligible for the regular grant, and Column C – seniors/additional grants.

For example, if you qualify for the Homeowner Grant, you will pay the amount calculated for Column B.

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Q3: Will the BC Government send me a cheque for the amount of my homeowner grant?

A3: No cheque will be sent for the homeowner grant. You pay the tax owing in either column A, B, or C (depending on your eligibility) before the property tax due date. If you are eligible and applied for the homeowner grant, you will pay Column B’s calculated amount which factors in the homeowner grant.

If you pay for the full amount (Column A) but qualify for the homeowner grant you may apply for a refund. You must speak with an agent by calling 250-387-0555. Only then will a cheque be administered in the mail once the refund process is complete.

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Q4: Is it better to wait to get my tax notice to do this?

A4: Yes, you should wait to receive your notice before applying for the grant. Applications will not be processed until after tax notices have been sent out.

Q5: Should I claim the grant if I am selling my house?

A5: Generally, yes. However, if your house has a firm contract for sale and/or is very close to your completion date (the day the legal transfer of ownership takes place) then check with your Notary Public or lawyer first.

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Q6: Should I claim the grant if I am purchasing a house?

A6: You cannot claim before you own a house. Discuss this with your Notary Public or lawyer as the homeowner grant may have already been claimed by a seller of the property.

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Q7: What is the difference between the Capital Regional District and Capital Assessment Area?

A7: The Capital Regional District includes the 13 municipalities that make up Greater Victoria. These areas have a basic amount of $570.

Capital Assessment Area: they are the rural areas of the province overseen by the Ministry of Finance for tax purposes. They are the areas qualify for the higher grant of $770.

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Q8: Are there any tips you think we should pass along?

A8: If you unsure about the new application process, you can speak with a representative at 250-387-0555 who will be happy to help you through the application process. And of course, do not forget to pay your taxes on time!

Application Process at a Glance – PDF 

Beverly and the Notary team would like to give one of its clients a huge thank you for gifting us some delicious cake at work today.

The client was so happy with our service for real estate purchases that she rewarded us with this gorgeous cake.  Wow!  We have so many great clients and we can eat cake too!!

The cake is from “Vikas Cakes and Beyond” and it looks beautiful. This nice lemon and strawberry cake gave us all the extra sugar rush we needed to power through the day and accomplish all your notarization needs.