Cornwall Ontario – Mike Bonito of Ottawa, and PearTree Group Property Management of Ottawa, face multiple counts of providing legal services in Ontario thus practising law without a licence; contrary to the Law Society Act.
The Law Society of Ontario, (LSUC) through the Law Society Act, governs who may provide legal services or practice law in Ontario. In this instance it is alleged that on more than one occasion Mike Bonito, through Peartree Group Property Management, selected, drafted, and completed documents that were used in a proceeding at the Landlord and Tenant Board providing legal services without being licenced by the Law Society of Ontario.
Specifically it is alleged that the defendants completed the initial notices of termination and the application to the Landlord and Tenant Board which resulted in a hearing at the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Pursuant to the Law Society Act, if the defendants are convicted, they face a maximum fine of $25,000 on the first offence and a maximum of $50,000.00 for each subsequent offence plus the costs of prosecuting the charges.
The defendants are scheduled to appear in Ottawa Provincial Offences Court on July 26,2018.
This matter will be prosecuted by licensed Ontario Paralegal James Moak. These matters have not been tried yet and as such the allegations have not been proven to date.