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Buying a cross lease property

New Zealanders love to talk about property. There are a multitude of topics relating to property that Kiwis have an intimate knowledge and understanding about which form the topic of water cooler and dinner conversation.

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Changes affecting every buyer of residential land

The Overseas Investment Amendment Bill has become law and is now the Overseas Investment Amendment Act 2018 (the OIA Act). It has been in force since 22 October.

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Validating imperfect wills

For wills to be valid they must comply with a number of legal formalities; they must be in writing and there must be two witnesses who must attest to the will-maker signing the will in their presence.

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How do I bring my trust to an end?

Trusts have been established for many different reasons, including estate planning, creditor protection, to ensure access to rest home subsidies, tax benefits or for protection from relationship property claims.

Do I still need a trust

Do I still need a trust?

If you have a family trust set up a number of years ago, it’s good practice to review it to ensure it is still ‘fit for purpose’. Leading on from that is the question that is often asked of us, “Should I bring my trust to an end?”

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Private land with public access

Our ability to access the ‘great outdoors’ in New Zealand is seen as something of a citizen’s right. At times, however, It does conflict with the rights of private landowners when, in order to access the great outdoors, there is a need to cross their private land first.

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Biosecurity in New Zealand

Biosecurity issues never seem to be far from the news these days. The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) is responsible for biosecurity in New Zealand and gets its powers in relation to biosecurity under the Biosecurity Act 1993.

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More updates on property matters

If you have been following our articles about foreign residential investment, P contamination and warming up Kiwi homes, here are the latest updates on each topic. We’re pleased to let you know there is some good news here.

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The fee is how much?

People who have secured a mortgage know that banks often sweeten the deal by providing a contribution towards legal fees. But how much are legal fees for a property transaction and why aren’t they a standard amount? We know people aren’t always comfortable talking about lawyers’ fees. Here’s how it all works.

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The fundamentals of flatting

Remember going flatting for the first time? It’s an exciting time, but it can present problems for young people if they’re focused on fun and not the fundamentals.