Buying with other people in Montreal: undivided co-ownership without a nasty surprise
A broker and a lawyer, taking turns. The legal rule, then what that changes in the transaction.
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Contents
Registration
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The connection link is emailed to you as soon as your registration is confirmed.
- 22 October 2026, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (ET)
- 60 minutes, including 15 minutes of questions
- Online
- The recording is sent to the people who registered
This session is educational. The content presented is general information and is not legal advice, nor personalized financial advice.
The session
The question rarely comes in a formal way. It comes at the end of an appointment, a little embarrassed: could I buy with my sister, with my friend, with my parents? Behind it is almost always the same calculation. Alone, in Montreal, it no longer works. With two people, maybe.
The answer is yes. People do it every day, and it goes very well. The condition is the whole subject of this session: know what you are buying, and put it in writing beforehand. Not after. Undivided co-ownership is not a property like any other. You are buying an undivided share of a whole, not a private portion with a syndicate. The financing has nothing in common with that. And when nothing is in writing, the Civil Code decides in the buyers' place.
There are two speakers, and they do not run two presentations back to back. Me Niousha Riahi sets out the legal rule and the litigation risk. She pleads undivided co-ownership cases: poorly drafted agreements, co-owners who stop paying, people who no longer speak to each other and who end up before a judge. Dania Fawaz follows with what that changes in a transaction: the price, the financing, the promise to purchase, the resale.
On the agenda
What you will learn
Divided or undivided: what you are actually buying
The private portion, with a syndicate, a declaration, and a contingency fund, set against an undivided share of a whole, whose use depends on the agreement. Where undivided co-ownership is found in Montreal, often in older plexes in the central neighbourhoods, and the trap of the listing that writes it in small print.
Buying on trust
What the law imposes when nothing is signed: who decides, who pays, how you get out, and what happens on death, on bankruptcy, or on a breakup. Three profiles to settle before the first visit: friends or siblings, parent and child, couples. And why "we'll sort that out later" is the most expensive sentence in a shared purchase.
The undivided co-ownership agreement, clause by clause
Current and major expenses, exclusive uses, consent and a right of first refusal, an exit mechanism and a valuation method, payment default, insurance, mediation. How to get the agreement before the offer, what to do if it is already weak, and what a weak agreement does to the financing as well as to the resale.
Money, day to day
Who decides, who pays, and what happens when someone stops paying. A solidary hypothec versus a loan with limited liability. Then three figures that decide whether the project exists: 20% down, no CMHC insurance, and very few lenders, essentially Desjardins and National Bank. The contingency fund, for its part, is not imposed. It is a decision.
For you
Who this session is for
You want to buy with a friend or a sibling, and you do not have the same horizon, or the same moment to leave.
You are buying as parent and child. You need to know who lives there, what that does to the parent's financing, and what it means for the other children.
You are a couple, married or in a de facto union, and the uncomfortable question is already there: what do we do if we separate?
You are buying a share in a building already held in undivided co-ownership, and you are handed an agreement written ten years ago.
In all four cases, the agreement is read before the offer. Not after.
Logistics
The practical details
Date
Thursday, 22 October 2026
Time
From 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time
Duration
60 minutes, including 15 minutes of questions
Format
Online. The link is emailed to you after registration
You cannot be there live? Register anyway. The recording will be sent to you.
Two professions, one session
Your speakers
About
Dania Fawaz, MBA
Residential and commercial real estate broker
With more than 25 years of experience in strategy, management, and negotiation, Dania built her career in the corporate world, where she co-founded and led well-established companies. She has also built her own real estate investment portfolio.
That dual perspective, entrepreneur and investor, has greatly shaped her approach to real estate brokerage. It has allowed her to develop a structured, thoughtful, and lasting decision-making process.
Holder of an MBA, a DESS in international business, and a master's degree from the Institut des Hautes Études Économiques et Commerciales Paris (INSEEC Grande École) and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Dania stands out for her ability to simplify real estate and make complex concepts more accessible.
Through her articles, talks, guides, and support, Dania helps you take back control of your real estate decisions and move forward with clarity and confidence.
Dania is the author of several guides, including L’Investisseuse, and also mentors women entrepreneurs and professionals.
Committed to her community, Dania sits on the board of directors of BPW Montréal. BPW (Business and Professional Women) brings together more than 30,000 women in over 100 countries and holds consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Its mission: to develop women’s leadership and full professional potential in order to increase their influence in every sphere of society.
About
Me Niousha Riahi
Lawyer · LL.B., J.D., LL.M. · Riahi Legal
Me Niousha Riahi has been a lawyer in Montreal since 2015. She practises mainly in commercial law, civil litigation, and construction law. Me Riahi also handles major family law files for entrepreneurs and clients with significant assets, often with an international dimension.
Holder of a bachelor's degree in civil law, a Juris Doctor (J.D.), and a master's degree in North American law (LL.M.) from Université de Montréal, Me Riahi has built a practice grounded in both academic rigour and business reality. Her career includes work with government bodies in Canada and the United States, as well as with private firms in Montreal and internationally.
In 2017, she founded Riahi Legal, a boutique firm offering bilingual legal services in downtown Montreal. Under her leadership, the firm has stood out for its excellence: ranked among the three best civil litigation firms in Montreal by ThreeBestRated.ca for three consecutive years (2024, 2025, and 2026), and among the top 10 small business lawyers by TrustAnalytica and Best in Montreal.
Riahi Legal practises family law, civil and real estate litigation, and business law, with expertise in complex and multi-jurisdictional litigation.
Today, most of Riahi Legal's practice involves family law and civil litigation, including real estate, notably disputes between undivided co-owners, construction litigation, and latent defect claims.
Committed to her community, Me Riahi sits on the board of directors of CSAI, an organization that supports immigrants and refugees. A speaker and author, she regularly raises public awareness, especially among women in business, of the legal issues tied to entrepreneurship, governance, and conflict prevention.
A seat is waiting for you
60 minutes with a broker and a lawyer. The legal rule, then what that changes when you sign.
This session is educational. The content presented is general information and is not legal advice, tax advice, or personalized financial advice. Every project is unique: always consult a professional about your situation.