If employers take only one thing out of the sacking of one of Australia’s best rugby players it should be this – in certain circumstances, an employer does have an interest, and the right to be interested, in an employee’s behaviour outside of the workplace.
Ashley-Jayne Lodge
The importance of understanding the EQC/insurance claims history of a property prior to sale is becoming increasingly significant for vendors.
If you are planning to purchase a property, whether it is residential or commercial, then it is highly recommended you carry out proper due diligence on the purchase.
There has been much discussion in the media about the difficulty of buying your first home. The government has released the Kiwibuild scheme to both fanfare and criticism. People who qualify enter a ballot for homes, yet to be built. The income level limits for qualification for singles and couples ...
The government has now passed legislation that extends the bright-line test from its original two years to five years. This means that before you consider selling any property within five years of purchase you should consider the effect of this law before you proceed.
When buying or selling houses, everyone wants to ideally get along during an often stressful ordeal. Vendors commonly agree to let a purchaser into a property before settlement to store items or complete repairs. But as well-intentioned as these arrangements are, there are some real risks you should protect yourself ...
A recent article in the press a couple of weeks ago highlighted that there are several houses in Christchurch which were never correctly fixed after the Canterbury Earthquakes and as a result may be financially toxic. People purchasing these houses run the risk that they may be buying into an ...
The past few years have seen a number of law changes which have impacted our service with no real value added to the transactions we complete for our clients. To name but a few, there has been increased compliance with the introduction of the Bright line test and the associated ...
The latest earthquakes have not just caused movement to the landscape but have also caused movement with regard to bank’s lending requirements in some regions around New Zealand. Banks are understandably cautious about advancing funds on properties that may have sustained damage in the most recent earthquakes.
Over the past 6 years it had become usual practice that EQC and private insurance claims were assigned to the purchaser upon a sale if the parties both agreed. Previously private insurers had been happy to allow the assignment of these claims provided a valid Deed of Assignment was entered ...
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (Act) has now been in force for almost six months but there is still some ambiguity as to how to meet the various obligations under the Act. This is understandable as the Act has introduced several new concepts, however the general actions ...
Affordability is a hot button issue with both political and practical overtones. The key practical issue being: Will the parliamentary rhetoric and steps taken in the name of affordability result in a drop in house prices?
Can you still buy under the new LVR rules? The new loan to value ratio restrictions will affect investors as well as owner-occupiers throughout New Zealand, so it pays to understand the key points and the impact these LVR's could have on you.