PRIVACY POLICY

The Personal Information Protection Act (“PIPA”) regulates the way organizations in British Columbia use, keep, secure, disclose and collect personal information. “Personal Information” means all information about an identifiable individual. Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. recognizes the importance of privacy and recognizes the sensitivity of personal information received in the course of notarial practice.

Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. recognises the professional obligation to maintain the confidentiality of client information, and recognizes obligations concerning the personal information of all individuals that is collected, used or disclosed in practice. This policy has been developed with those obligations in mind.

Personal information is collected and used to give legal advice to clients. It is gathered to access all relevant facts and information relating to the transaction. This information will necessarily include personal information about the clients and about individuals other than the clients.

Personal information is best collected directly from the person to whom the information pertains. If necessary, personal information will be collected from other sources.

By using the services of Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. the client consents to the collection, use or disclosure of the client’s personal information in order to properly advise and represent the client.

It is the policy of Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. to collect personal information about individuals, other than clients, in accordance with the provisions of PIPA. The Act provides that an individual has consented to collection, use or disclosure of personal information about that individual if, at the time the consent is deemed given, the purpose is considered obvious to a reasonable person. In those circumstances, Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. will collect, use or disclose personal information without obtaining a written or verbal consent to do so.

The Act also permits Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. to collect, use or disclose personal information about an individual in some circumstances without the individual’s consent. Those include (but are not limited to) circumstances in which:

• the collection, use or disclosure is clearly in the interests of the individual and consent cannot be obtained in a timely way;

• it is reasonable to expect that the collection or use of personal information with the consent of the individual would compromise the availability or accuracy of the information, and the collection or use of the information is necessary for an investigation or proceeding;

• it is reasonable to expect that the disclosure of personal information with the consent of the individual would compromise an investigation or proceeding, and he disclosure of the information is necessary for an investigation or proceeding;

• the personal information is available to the public from certain other sources;

• the collection, use or disclosure of personal information is required or authorized by law.

When Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. collects, uses or discloses personal information, we will make reasonable efforts to ensure that is accurate and complete.

Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. recognizes the professional and legal obligation to protect the confidential information of clients and other individuals collected for this practice. Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. has, therefore, made arrangements to secure personal information against the unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, disposal or destruction of personal information. Personal information includes paper and electronic information.

There are specific circumstances in which Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. may release personal information. The Act permits individuals to submit written requests to Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. to provide them with:

• their personal information in our custody or control;

• information about how we use their personal information under our control;

• the names of the individuals and organizations to whom we have disclosed their personal information under our control.

Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. will respond to requests in the time allowed by the Act and as authorized by you pursuant to various documents in our file. We will make a reasonable effort to assist applicants and to respond as accurately and completely as reasonably possible. All requests may be subject to any fees and disbursements the law permits.

An individual does not have an absolute ability to access his or her personal information under control of Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. The Act provides that we must not disclose personal information when:

• disclosure could reasonably be expected to threaten the safety or physical or mental health of someone else;

• disclosure can reasonably be expected to cause the person who made the request immediate or grave harm as to their safety or physical or mental health;

• disclosure would reveal personal information about someone else;

• disclosure would reveal the identity of an individual who has provided personal information about someone else and the person providing the personal information does not consent to disclosure of his or her identity.

The Act further provides that Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc. is not required to disclose personal information when:

• disclosure of the personal information would reveal confidential commercial information that, if disclosed, could in the opinion of a reasonable person, harm the competitive position of an organization;

• the personal information was collected or created by a mediator or arbitrator in the conduct of a mediation or arbitration for which he or she was appointed to act:

(i) under a collective agreement,
(ii) under an enactment, or
(iii) by a court.

The law allows individuals to ask Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc to correct errors or omissions in their personal information that it is our custody or control. The request must be in writing and we will:

• correct the information and, if it is reasonable to do so, send correction notifications to other organizations to whom I disclosed the incorrect information; or

• decide not to correct the personal information, but annotate the personal information that a correction was requested but not made.

Contacting Michelle Hay at Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc.:

If you have any questions about our handling of your personal information or if you want access to it or to request a correction of your personal information that is under our care and control, please contact us at:

Michelle Hay
Michelle Hay Notary Public Inc.
4842 McConnell Ave,
Terrace, BC V8G5M4

If you are dissatisfied with our handling of your personal information, you may contact Michelle Hay in writing, setting out the reasons for your concern. If you remain dissatisfied with our response to your concerns, you may wish to contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner at:

P.O. Box 9038, Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC V8W 9A4
Telephone (250) 387-5629
Fax (250) 387-1696