Holiday season and a new year gets many of us thinking about those important jobs we need to get to. If you haven’t already made a will; you may want to add this near the top of your list. A will is one of the most important legal documents you ever put in place. However, many people…
Time lapse video of our office on settlement day. Bonnie Warburton’s behind the scenes glimpse at five crazy days. Attempting to settle 270 apartments on one day is no easy task and not for the faint hearted. Whilst the pressure of the SugarTree settlement at times was enormous, the satisfaction at the end…
Commercial uses for drones Dr Catherine Ball is a world leader in the non-military application of drone technology. She highlighted some really important issues for property owners at The Property Council New Zealand National Conference held in Melbourne, 13-15 September. Firstly it’s important to note that there are all sorts of drone use…
There is a lot of discussion around the physical design of subdivisions and how that impacts the community that is created and the ultimate owners’ use and enjoyment of the land. The legal design is just as important. Recent agreements I have reviewed for some new developments cause me concern as to what we…
On Monday 16th October our team handled settlements for close to 250 apartments and 30 carparks. This huge piece of work was undertaken for property development client, SugarTree. It is the second stage of a three phase development which bridges the suburbs of Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Freemans Bay with the hub of the inner…
What’s not to love about modern user-friendly legislation? Nearly a year ago the need to set up Incorporated Societies in order to manage communal facilities on a property development, became a thing of the past. Incorporated Societies have their place but they require a minimum of 15 members, a common seal and are governed…
A deposit amount is a matter for negotiation between the parties. Whilst the customary figure is 10% it need not always be the rule. The Auckland District Law Society and Real Estate Institute of New Zealand Agreement for Sale and Purchase template (ADLS Agreement) provides that a vendor can retain a maximum 10% deposit when…
We are delighted to have been nominated as a finalist in the New Zealand Law Awards 2017. The New Zealand Law Awards are the leading independent honours celebrating excellence in the legal profession. They recognise the outstanding achievements of firms, in-house teams and other industry professionals across New Zealand. Our category, ‘Property & Construction Specialist Law…
Auckland’s housing crisis is arguably one of the most pressing issues of our time. In response, a group of 130 public and private sector industry stakeholders met at a not-for-profit gathering, on 1 August 2017 – the first Auckland Housing Summit. The Summit was organized by a group of five key players: Leonie Freeman –…
Just before Christmas MBIE announced a review of the Unit Titles Act 2010 and published a discussion document. Submissions on the proposals were due 5pm Friday, 3 March 2017. Many submissions have been made, including one from us that looks at the changes predominantly from the developer’s perspective. The items subject to review include the…
We have mentioned previously that the rules relating to retentions under contracts covered by the Construction Contracts Act 2002 are changing. From 31 March 2017 retention money withheld under commercial construction contracts must be held on trust. This is intended to apply only to contracts entered into or renewed on or after 31 March (presuming…
The Supreme Court of Victoria was recently asked to consider whether or not a tenant, under a residential tenancy, was in breach of the provisions of the lease by entering into contracts with Airbnb. These allowed guests to stay for a short term, booked via the Airbnb website. The case went first to the…