Privacy Policy
What is considered Personal Information?
Under the Personal Information Protection and 3709 Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), “personal information” includes any factual or subjective information recorded or not, about an identifiable individual. This includes information in any form, such as: age, name, identification numbers, income, ethnicity, opinions, evaluations, comments, social status, disciplinary actions, employee files, credit records, loan records, medical records, disputes, intentions, etc.
Our Privacy Commitment
Accurity Canada Consolidated Corp. promotes privacy as a corporate value. We respect an individual’s right to privacy and to the protection of their personal information. By electing to provide personal information to us, you can be assured that your information is protected to the best of our ability. Through the acknowledgement of the Fair Information Principles of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Accurity Canada has developed the following Policy. This Policy applies to employees, clients, and users of our services.
1. Accountability
Accurity Canada accepts accountability for the personal information under its control. A Privacy Officer has been appointed who is responsible for the company’s compliance with the principles under PIPEDA and development of this Policy. All employees of Accurity Canada have received training in the privacy responsibilities commensurate with their role in the company. This Privacy Policy is made readily available to the public and by request.
2. Purposes for Collection, Use, and Disclosure
Accurity Canada lawfully and ethically collects and uses personal information as consensually submitted by users of our services solely for the following purposes:
1. to enable secure communication between parties involved with the specific contracted commercial transaction; namely employees of Accurity Canada Consolidated Corp., the client and/or the client’s representative(s), third party Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs), the lending institution(s), and any other party as directed by the client.
2. to provide products and services as engaged;
3. to provide receipts for services rendered;
4. to process payment for the products and/or services rendered;
5. to support analysis, research, and management of data in the appraisal process;
6. to meet statutory and regulatory requirements;
The only circumstances under which personal information may be disclosed to third parties is for the fulfillment of any purposes identified above, or as required by law. Where personal information is disclosed to third parties for the fulfillment of any purposes identified above, Accurity Canada will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the third party has appropriate security procedures in place for the protection of the personal information being transferred.
3. Consent
Engagement of our services represents your implied consent for Accurity Canada to collect, use, and disclose personal information for the purposes stated in this Policy. In some cases, we are contracted as a third party and personal information is transferred to us from the original organization with which you consented. In these cases, inquiries regarding your personal information should be directed to the original organization.
Consent may be refused or withdrawn at any time, subject to legal and contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. Under PIPEDA, the choice to provide your personal information remains the individual’s right to change at any time. However, the decision to withhold particular information may impact our ability to provide the service as engaged.
To refuse or withdraw your consent to providing your personal information, please contact us at 1-855-222-8101 or privacy@accuritycanada.com. Office administrative staff of Accurity Canada are prepared to explain your options and any consequences of refusing or withdrawing consent, and will record your choices.
4. Limiting Collection
The fair and lawful collection of personal information by Accurity Canada is only for the purposes identified above. Little of the personal information collected by us can be considered sensitive. Personal information collected is typically supplied directly from an individual and includes their name, mailing address, email address, and phone number. Other information that may be obtained and in our control includes address(es) of property(ies) owned, land title records, photographs of property(ies), mortgage documents, and/or other legal documents for the purpose of conducting the commercial activity for which we were engaged. Payment details are limited to the timely secure transaction and are not retained on file.
5. Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention
Personal information will not be disclosed for any purpose other than those for which it was collected, except with your consent or as required by law. We will not sell, or otherwise trade your personal information to other parties. Personal information is retained only as long as is necessary for the fulfillment of the purposes for which it was collected, as required for professional audit purposes, or as required by law.
6. Accuracy
We strive to ensure that personal information collected is accurate, complete, and up-to-date as required for the purposes for which it was collected. Please notify us if any inaccuracies are found in your personal information such as your mailing address, email address and telephone number, so we can make the appropriate corrections promptly.
7. Safeguards
Accurity Canada uses adequate security measures to protect collected personal information from risks such as loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. These safety measures include physical, organizational, and technological security measures.
All employees of Accurity Canada are made aware of the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of personal information, as well as the means of proper disposal and destruction of personal information where no longer required. It is our company policy not to transmit data including personal information by fax.
8. Openness
All employees of Accurity Canada are required to abide by the privacy standards as outlined in this Policy. Appraisers are also required to work within the principles of ethical behaviour as set out by their governing organization (AIC and/or CNAREA) and must follow applicable laws and regulations. This Policy is readily available to employees, posted publicly on our website at www.accuritycanada.com and by request.
9. Individual Access
As established by PIPEDA, you have the right to access the personal information collected. You may request information about the existence, use, and disclosure of your personal information in writing and we will respond to your inquiry within 30 days. You may also request amendment of your personal information in order to correct or complete it as appropriate. In certain exceptional situations, Accurity Canada may not be able to provide access to certain personal information if doing so would reveal personal information about a third party. If access cannot be provided, a response in writing will be given including the reasons for the refusal. Requests in writing may be sent to the Privacy Officer at privacy@accuritycanada.com.
10. Challenging Compliance
If you have a question regarding this Policy, or a concern or complaint regarding our privacy procedures, please contact the Privacy Officer by telephone at 1-855-222-8101, or by e-mail at privacy@accuritycanada.com or by regular mail at:
Accurity Canada
c/o Privacy Officer
5700-100 King St. W.
Toronto, ON M5X 1C7
Revisions to this Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to revise this Policy periodically as changes in technology and legal requirements arise. As such, the development of our policies and procedures for the protection of personal information is an ongoing process.