Definition : Purchase - Legal guarantee of quality (latent defects)

L'article 1068.1 du Code civil du Québec, issu du Projet de loi 16, obligera une plus grande transparence lors d'une transaction en copropriété. Le document d'attestation prévu dans cet article posera des questions pointues sur "l'état de la copropriété", afin que les acheteurs sortent du brouillard avant d'acquérir un appartement détenu en copropriété divise.

27 mai 2021 — La ministre des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation (MAMH), Andrée Laforest, a récemment lancé une vaste consultation visant l’adoption de sept dispositions prévues dans le projet de loi 16. Celui-ci a été sanctionné en janvier 2020.

L'inspection préachat est un incontournable avant d'acheter un condo. Si on ne peut faire inspecter tout l'immeuble, ce qui coûterait trop cher, il est néanmoins possible d'avoir un aperçu du type de gouvernance qui y prévaut, que ce soit en matière d'entretien et de conservation du patrimoine bâti.

  Article 1726 paragraph 1 of  the Civil Code of Quebec, provides that " The seller is bound to warrant the buyer that the property and its accessories are, at the time of the sale, free of latent defects which render it unfit for the use for which it was intended or which so diminish its usefulness that the buyer would not have bought it or paid so high a price if he had been aware of them. In other words, the latent defect prevents the buyer from enjoying, as he was entitled to expect, the property sold and its accessories.  However, the purchase cannot be done blindly, as the buyer must exercise caution and diligence in the purchase process.  Thus, a defect that was denounced by the seller at the time of the sale is not covered by the legal guarantee since the buyer then acquired the property knowingly. A buyer must therefore be particularly attentive to the representations and declarations of a seller, as well as to the documentation given by the latter before the sale

The law provides specific provisions, to protect syndicates of co-owners against defective work (article 1081 of the Civil Code of Quebec). The legislator aims to alleviate apparent deficiencies at the end of a project. Regarding work in common portions, the syndicate has several legal warranties. Among these are the warranties for poor workmanship, for hidden defects and for the loss of the work. These rights are worth their weight in gold, since more often than not the cost of work in co-ownerships is very high. In addition to the legal warranties, which apply in any case, in accordance with the conditions that govern them, the contractual liability of the contractor may also be invoked, under the legal contractual regime. The contractor may also offer additional guarantees.

Even after the transfer of ownership, the buyer benefits from several guarantees. Unless otherwise stated, the sale of a building is subject to a basic guarantee, generally called the "legal guarantee". This guarantee exists by the sole effect of the law, that is to say without it being necessary to provide for it in the contract. Under article 1716 of the Civil Code of Quebec (C.c.Q.), the legal guarantee has two components, namely the guarantee of the right of ownership  (1723 C.c.Q.) and the guarantee of quality (1726 C.c.Q.) against  hidden defects. This guarantee covers the validity of the right of ownership and guarantees the buyer that the building and its accessories are free from hidden defects likely to make them unfit for use or which reduce its usefulness so much that the buyer would not have bought or would not have paid the same price if they had known them.