By law, overseas investors in sensitive land and significant
business assets in New Zealand must be of (and must maintain) 'good
character'. The Overseas Investment Office (OIO)
considers many factors when assessing an overseas investor's
character. The term 'good character' generally means acting
appropriately, including but not limited to not committing any
offences nor contravening any laws.
By Steven Lee and Genelle Seah - 12 Jun 2019
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We are delighted to announce that Jacque Lethbridge joined
the partnership effective 1 June 2019.
By Mike Worsnop - 1 Jun 2019
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Pursuant to the amended Overseas Investment Act
(OIA) which came into effect from 22
October 2018, the purchase of residential property by an 'Overseas
Person' is subject to consent from the Overseas Investment Office
(OIO) unless an exemption
applies.
By Genelle Seah - 12 Mar 2019
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In April 2018 Meika McHardy of our firm posted a blog on
what you need to know about asbestos and home renovation. She
pointed out that asbestos is now the single biggest cause of death
from work-related disease, and that on 4 April 2018 the new
regulations governing asbestos came fully into effect. What
is probably not fully appreciated is how widespread the use of
asbestos was during the period from 1940 to 2000.
By Geoff Hardy - 16 Nov 2018
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Under the amended Overseas Investment Act
(Amended OIA), which
took effect from 22 October 2018, any transaction involving the
sale and purchase of residential property by an overseas person is
subject to consent from the Overseas Investment Office
(OIO) unless an exemption
applies.
By Steven Lee - 13 Nov 2018
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Occasionally the relationship between parties to a
building contract turns sour. In some cases the parties will be
able to get things back on track so that the project can be brought
to completion. However, in other cases there is an irreparable
breakdown in trust and one or both parties want to part ways. The
owner may not want the builder around anymore and/or the builder
may not want to continue racking up cost on credit with little
prospect of being paid. So how does a party terminate the building
contract and what risks does a party face if they get it
wrong?
By Meika McHardy - 13 Sep 2018
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What the Consumer Guarantees Act (the
CGA) does is insert some basic guarantees
into every contract for the supply of consumer goods or services,
and those guarantees override anything that the written contract
might say to the contrary. However, the CGA only applies if you are
supplying goods or services to "consumers". And consumers are
individuals, companies, Councils, clubs or other legal entities who
acquire goods or services "of a kind that are ordinarily acquired
for personal, domestic, or household use or
consumption".
By Geoff Hardy - 7 Sep 2018 - 2 comments
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Building disputes can be very costly to resolve and cause
both parties a lot of stress. If a dispute arises before
construction is complete, building work is often suspended until
the dispute is resolved. This can cause delays and can put
unfinished work or materials on site at risk of damage. On
residential projects in particular, a homeowner will be very
invested and emotions can run high. Fortunately, there
are things all parties can put in place to help prevent
disputes.
By Meika McHardy - 4 Jul 2018
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From 1 July this year, we may be required to undertake due
diligence in order to comply with our obligations under the
Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act
(AML/CFT). The information required
(if any) will differ depending on the nature of your work and
your type of entity. We will need this information
prior to carrying out your instructions.
By Kay Keam - 21 Jun 2018
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Recently, the Tenancy
Tribunal ruled that landlords can claim for the profits that a
tenant makes in illegally subleasing their rental premises,
especially for the purposes of an Airbnb rental. In this case, the
landlord discovered that his apartment had been rented out 46 times
over a six month period on Airbnb for approximately $249 per
night.
By Pierce Bedogni - 25 May 2018
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