TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Purpose of PRIVACY Policy
1.1 The Ten Principles of PIPEDA Summarized
1.2 Personal Information Defined
2.0 PurposeS of Collecting Personal Information
3.0 Consent
4.0 Limiting Collection
5.0 Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
5.1 Use of Personal Information
5.2 Disclosure of Personal Information
5.3 Retention of Personal Information
6.0 Accuracy
7.0 Safeguards
8.0 Openness
9.0 Individual Access
10.0 Complaints / recourse
PRIVACY POLICY
1.0 Purpose of (Metro Commercial Team) Privacy Policy
Metro Commercial Team (MCT) is a Commercial Real Estate Team, with Commercial Realtors and professional staff whose mandate is to assist business owners and corporations with commercial transactions and investment, by delivering a range of counselling and information services to business owners, individuals or group of investors in securing commercial spaces to lease, buy/sell and acquisition of new or existing businesses.
This privacy policy has been developed to comply with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”). PIPEDA sets out rules for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information in the course of commercial activity as defined in the Act.
1.1 The Ten Principles of PIPEDA Summarized
The ten principles of PIPEDA that form the basis of this Privacy Policy are as follows:
- Accountability: organizations are accountable for the personal information they collect, use, retain and disclose in the course of their commercial activities, including, but not limited to, the appointment of a Managing Member;
- Identifying Purposes: organizations are to explain the purposes for which the information is being used at the time of collection and can only be used for those purposes;
- Consent: organizations must obtain an Individual’s express or implied consent when they collect, use, or disclose the individual’s personal information;
- Limiting Collection: the collection of personal information must be limited to only the amount and type that is reasonably necessary for the identified purposes;
- Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention: personal information must be used for only the identified purposes, and must not be disclosed to third parties unless the Individual consents to the alternative use or disclosure;
- Accuracy: organizations are required to keep personal information in active files accurate and up-to-date;
- Safeguards: organizations are to use physical, organizational, and technological safeguards to protect personal information from unauthorized access or disclosure.
- Openness: organizations must inform their clients and train their employees about their privacy policies and procedures;
- Individual Access: an individual has a right to access personal information held by an organization and to challenge its accuracy if need be; and
- Provide Recourse: organizations are to inform clients and employees of how to bring a request for access, or complaint, to the Managing Member, and respond promptly to a request or complaint by the individual.
This Privacy Policy applies to MCT ‘s team members, employees and contracted employees. As well, MCT ensures that all third-party service providers sign confidentiality agreements prior to any transfer of an individual’s personal information in the course of providing the business transactions, business development advice, and other related information and/or services.
1.2 Definitions
“Personal information” means any information about an identifiable individual. It includes, without limitation, information relating to identity, nationality, age, gender, address, telephone number, e-mail address, Social Insurance Number, date of birth, marital status, education, employment health history, assets, liabilities, payment records, credit records, transaction records, income and information relating to financial transactions as well as certain personal opinions or views of an Individual.
“Business information” means business name, business address, business telephone number, name(s) of owner(s), officer(s) and director(s), job titles, business registration numbers (GST, RST, source deductions), financial status. Although business information is not subject to PIPEDA, confidentiality of business information will be treated with the same security measures by MCT staff, members and Board members, as is required for individual personal information under PIPEDA.
“Client” means the business owners or corporations, (including sole proprietorships and individuals carrying on business in a partnership);
“Individual” means the client’s owner(s) or shareholders, co-signors, and/or any guarantor associated with a client.
“Member” means a team member of MCT.
“Application” means the application form or related forms completed by the individual(s) to request services of MCT.
“Data base” means the list of names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of clients and individuals held by MCT in the forms of, but not limited to, computer files, paper files, and files on computer hard-drives.
“File” means the information collected in the course of services provided, as well as information collected/updated to maintain /service the account.
“Express consent” means the individual signs the application, or other forms containing personal information, authorizing MCT to collect, use, and disclose the individual’s personal information for the purposes set out in the application and/or forms.
“Implied Consent” means the organization may assume that the individual consents to the information being used, retained and disclosed for the original purposes, unless notified by the individual.
“Third Party” means a person or company that provides services to MCT in support of the programs, benefits, and other services offered by MCT, such as other lenders, credit bureaus, persons with whom the individual or client does business, but does not include any Government office or department to whom MCT reports in the delivery of such programs, benefits or services.
2.0 Purposes of Collecting Personal Information
Personal information is collected in order to assess the eligibility of the individual completing an application for real estate transactions. The individual is the main source of information but MCT will also ask to obtain information directly from a third source where the individual does not have the required information.
Only that information which is required to make a determination of an individual’s eligibility will be collected. Although the individual’s Social Insurance Number may be requested in the application for confirming identification of the individual to the credit reporting agency, provision of this personal information is optional. The individual may provide alternative forms of identification, such as date of birth and driver’s license number.
3.0 Consent
An individual’s express, written consent will be obtained before or at the time of collecting personal information. The purposes for the collection, use or disclosure of the personal information will be provided to the individual at the time of seeking his or her consent. Once consent is obtained from the individual to use his or her information for those purposes, MCT has the individual’s implied consent to collect or receive any supplementary information that is necessary to fulfil the same purposes. Express consent will also be obtained if, or when, a new use is identified.
By signing the application and/or other forms, implied consent is granted by the individual to obtain and/or to verify information from third parties such as banks, credit bureaus, other lenders, and insurance companies in the process of assessing the eligibility of an individual or client. Implied consent is also granted by the individual to permit MCT to report or otherwise disclose information to parties involved in a transaction or government agencies.
An individual can choose not to provide some or all of the personal information at any time, but if MCT is unable to collect sufficient information to validate the request for real estate transactions, the individual’s application for such real estate transactions may be turned down.
A client or an individual can withdraw consent to MCT ’s use of personal information at any time prior to the application being approved, by making such request in writing. Once a transaction has been approved, an individual cannot withdraw consent authorizing MCT to use and disclose the personal information for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. Express consent will be obtained from the individual prior to disclosing the individual’s personal information to other lenders, credit insurers and credit bureaus.
This Privacy Policy does not cover statistical data from which the identity of individuals cannot be determined. MCT retains the right to use and disclose statistical data as it determines appropriate.
4.0 Limiting Collection
Personal information collected will be limited to the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, MCT applications, and/or other forms.
5.0 Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
5.1 Use of Personal Information
Personal information will be used for only those purposes to which the individual has consented with the following exceptions, as permitted under PIPEDA:
MCT will use personal information without the individual’s consent, where:
- the organization has reasonable grounds to believe the information could be useful when investigating a contravention of a federal, provincial or foreign law and the information is used for that investigation;
- an emergency exists that threatens an individual’s life, health or security;
- the information is for statistical study or research;
- the information is publicly available;
- the use is clearly in the individual’s interest, and consent is not available in a timely way;
- knowledge and consent would compromise the availability or accuracy of the information, and
- collection is required to investigate a breach of an agreement.
5.2 Disclosure and Transfer of Personal Information
Personal information will be disclosed to only those MCT employees, members of MCT Team, and that need to know the information for the purposes of their work or making an assessment as to the individual’s eligibility to be a party to a real estate transaction.
Personal information will be disclosed to third parties with the individual’s knowledge and consent.
PIPEDA permits MCT to disclose personal information to third parties, without an individual’s knowledge and consent, to:
- a lawyer representing MCT;
- collect a debt owed to MCT by the individual or client;
- comply with a subpoena, a warrant or an order made by a court or other body with appropriate jurisdiction;
- a law enforcement agency in the process of a civil or criminal investigation;
- a government agency or department requesting the information; or,
- as required by law.
PIPEDA permits MCT to transfer personal information to a third party, without the individual’s knowledge or consent, if the transfer is simply for processing purposes and the third party only uses the information for the purposes for which it was transferred. MCT will ensure, by contractual or other means, that the third party protects the information and uses it only for the purposes for which it was transferred.
5.3 Retention of Personal Information
Personal information will be retained in client files as long as the file is active and for such periods of time as may be prescribed by applicable laws and regulations.
A file will be deemed inactive if the Investment Committee rejects an application, when a transaction is repaid in full and securities are discharged, or when a guarantee is terminated. Information contained in an inactive file will be retained for a period of seven (7) years, except in the case where an application is rejected. Where an application has been rejected, the file and all personal information contained in the file will be retained for a period of two (2) years.
6.0 Accuracy
MCT endeavours to ensure that any personal information provided by the individual in his or her active file(s) is accurate, current and complete as is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which the information has been collected, used, retained and disclosed. Individuals are requested to notify MCT of any change in personal or business information.
Information contained in inactive files is not updated.
7.0 Safeguards
MCT will use physical, organizational, and technological measures to safeguard personal information to only those MCT employees, volunteers, or third parties who need to know this information for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy.
Organizational Safeguards: Access to personal information will be limited to the MCT Team members, the Administration Member, and the party who have to make a determination as to the individual’s eligibility for a business Transaction. Personal information provided to members of MCT committee(s) will be limited to only that information required to carry out the mandate of that committee. Members of the MCT committee(s) and/or Board of Directors are not permitted to copy or retain any personal information on individuals or clients and must return for destruction all such information given to them to review once the purpose for being provided with this information has been fulfilled.
Employees and members of MCT are required to sign a confidentiality agreement binding them to maintaining the confidentiality of all personal information to which they have access.
Physical Safeguards: Active files are stored in locked filing cabinets when not in use. Access to work areas where active files may be in use is restricted to MCT employees only and authorized third parties.
All inactive files or personal information no longer required are shredded prior to disposal to prevent inadvertent disclosure to unauthorized persons.
Technological Safeguards: Personal information contained in MCT computers and electronic databases are password protected in accordance with MCT ‘s Information Security Policy. Access to any of the MCT ‘s computers also is password protected. MCT ‘s Internet router or server has firewall protection sufficient to protect personal and confidential business information against virus attacks and “sniffer” software arising from Internet activity. Personal information is not transferred to volunteer committee members, the Board of Directors, or third parties by e-mail or other electronic form.
8.0 Openness
MCT will endeavour to make its privacy policies and procedures known to the individual via this Privacy Policy as well as the MCT Privacy Statement. This document will also be available on MCT ’s website: www.MetroCommercialTeam.ca
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9.0 Individual Access
An Individual who wishes to review or verify what personal information is held by MCT, or to whom the information has been disclosed (as permitted by the Act), may make the request for access, in writing, to the MCT ‘s managing members. Upon verification of the individual’s identity, the managing member will respond within 60 days.
If the individual finds that the information held by MCT is inaccurate or incomplete, upon the individual providing documentary evidence to verify the correct information, MCT will make the required changes to the individual’s active file(s) promptly.
10.0 Complaints/Recourse
If an individual has a concern about MCT ‘s personal information handling practises, a complaint, in writing, may be directed to the MCT ‘s managing members.
Upon verification of the individual’s identity, MCT ‘s Managing Member will act promptly to investigate the complaint and provide a written report of the investigation’s findings to the individual.
Where MCT ‘s managing member makes a determination that the individual’s complaint is well founded, the managing member will take the necessary steps to correct the offending information handling practise and/or revise MCT ‘s privacy policies and procedures.
Where MCT ‘s managing member determines that the individual’s complaint is not well founded, the individual will be notified in writing.
If the individual is dissatisfied with the finding and corresponding action taken by MCT ‘s manging member’s findings, the individual may bring a complaint to the Federal Privacy Commissioner at the address below:
The Privacy Commissioner of Canada Email address: www.privcom.gc.ca.
112 Kent Street, Ottawa,
Ontario K1A 1H3
Tel 1-800-282-1376
Questions/Access Request/Complaint
Any questions regarding this or any other privacy policy of MCT may be directed to the managing members. Requests for access to information, or to make a complaint, are to be made in writing and sent to the Managing Members at the address below:
Managing Member: Email address: info@metrocommercialteam.ca
Metro Commercial Team
1550 16th Avenue, Building C
Richmond Hill, Ontario
L4B 3K9
Amendment to MCT ‘s Privacy Policies
This MCT ‘s Privacy Policy is in effect as of January 01, 2020 and is retroactive to January 01, 2020. This policy is subject to amendment in response to developments in the privacy legislation. The managing members will review and revise the Privacy Policy from time to time as required by changes in privacy law. Notification of any changes in the Privacy Policy will be posted on MCT ‘s website, as well as in MCT ‘s Privacy Statement. Any changes in the Privacy Policy will apply to Personal information collected from the date of the posting of the revised Privacy Policy on MCT ‘s website: www.metrocommercialteam.ca