Melissa is a Partner in Minden Gross LLP’s Property Taxation and Assessment Law Group. With a roster of clients that include commercial landlords, tenants, developers, property managers, and financial institutions, Melissa has spent over three decades specializing in property assessment matters and municipal taxation issues. Her practice bridges the areas of real estate and commercial leasing.
As a property tax specialist, Melissa routinely reviews and appeals property assessments and negotiates settlements with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. Her practice also includes advising on and pursuing applications for property tax exemptions, vacancy and charitable tax rebates, ethno-cultural tax rebates and other forms of tax grants. Melissa is proficient in providing realty tax estimates and verifying tax appeal adjustments and tax billing calculations. Melissa keeps abreast of new developments in assessment and realty tax legislation and policies and provides counsel to clients in this regard.
In commercial leasing, Melissa’s experience includes advising landlords and tenants on the interpretation of realty tax clauses in leases and in disputes relating to realty tax allocations. Melissa also provides advice with respect to drafting realty tax clauses to conform to the current legislative assessment scheme and to align with a client’s business goals relating to realty tax recoveries.
Melissa’s background in litigation complements her practice when called upon to appear as counsel at hearings before the Assessment Review Board and the Superior Court of Ontario and to be an advocate in all areas of practice.
Outside of the office, Melissa is a long time volunteer with the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and an avid performer in amateur musical theatre productions.
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