Purchasers may be approached to authorise an early release of the deposit they have paid. Know the risks
New Tax Compliance Measures
Impact on the Transfer of Property (Conveyancing) process The Government has made changes to improve Tax Compliance in the property sector. These will have a significant impact where we are transferring property for our clients. We are now required to provide tax information by way of a “Tax Statement” to Continue Reading
Property Transaction Guidelines
David has been instrumental in the revision of the Guidelines adopted by the Property Law Section of NZLS and ADLS Inc for incorporation in the latest edition of its widely used agreement for sale and purchase of real estate. The Guidelines assist the day to day smooth running of transactions Continue Reading
The Importance of a Will
Downton Abbey fans have, in Episode 1 of Season 4 of this TV blockbuster, seen the anguish created when a young husband and father is taken from his family without leaving a will. Northlaw would like fans to take heed of the message in the drama about the importance of making a will. The Continue Reading
Does your Will need amendment
Mary Holm endorses David’s advice re family loans. Does your Will need amendment…. Well known financial commentator Mary Holm answered (Herald 25 October 2014) a letter concerning how best to handle the common situation involving a loan to a family member to avoid future complications and family upset. David wrote Continue Reading
Complaints Against Lawyers
The Lawyers Complaints Service has been operating for only 6 years. And in that time it has received over 12,000 complaints about lawyers. That`s bad news isn`t it? Especially when there are now 12,000 lawyers in NZ in total. (there were only 3,000 NZ lawyers when I became one in Continue Reading
Cross lease titles – potential time bombs
What they are and how they came about? Cross lease titles are relatively common for residential properties in New Zealand. They emerged in the late 1960s as a way to avoid the more time consuming and, especially, costlier methods of development, like freehold subdivisions and, more recently, Unit Title developments. Continue Reading
Westpac Springboard Family Home option
On 30 July 2013 David contributed to the debate on Kerre McIvor’s ZB Talk Back about the new Westpac Springboard Family Home option. The option involves the borrower’s family taking out a loan against the equity in their family home to “top up” the borrower’s deposit. Westpac’s website gives an Continue Reading