Last month, the main form that lawyers and real estate agents use for sale and purchase of property changed. The new form incorporates changes in case law, technological changes and better reflects real world practices. The changes we consider most likely to affect clients buying or selling are as follows: 1. Chattels and Warranties Under…
Recent amendments to the Takeovers Act 1993 and Takeovers Code will be a welcome relief to many small Code companies. These changes add a threshold below which the Code will not apply to unlisted companies. This will save small unlisted companies (and their lawyers) from the rigours of deciphering the Code and the associated compliance…
The Trusts Act 2019 is now a reality and will come into force on 31 January 2021. The Trusts Act 2019 will replace the Trustee Act 1956, applying to all existing and future trusts in New Zealand. The Trusts Act 2019 is intended to make trust law simpler, more transparent and more accessible to the…
An insulation deadline is looming for NZ landlords, but as landlords are familiarising themselves with the regulatory changes, further approved regulations are already on the horizon. As of 1 July 2019, NZ landlords must have installed ceiling and underfloor insulation in their rental homes. Any landlord found to not complying with this regulation could find…
Several employment law changes came into effect on May 6. Individual employment agreements that are not in writing are now an infringement offence under the Employment Relations (Infringement Offences) Regulations 2019. Section 65(1)(a) of the Employment Relations Act 2000 already provides that an individual employment agreement must be in writing. At present an employer failing…
The employment law landscape is changing, with amendments to the Employment Relations Act and the implementation of the Domestic Violence Victims’ Protection Act 2018, which comes into effect on 1 April 2019. So what do the changes mean for employers? Union access from 12 December 2018: Unions are entitled to access a workplace on union business, which includes providing…
In November 2018 the Reserve Bank announced that home loan restrictions will be loosened in January. This news has sparked a range of reactions from New Zealand property pundits, with some heralding the change as a blessing for millennials and others dismissing it as a minor change unlikely to have much of an impact. In…
This year we have seen a number of changes in the law, with both the Land Transfer Act 2017 and the Overseas Investment Amendment Act 2018 coming in to force, and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 rules applying to lawyers, accountants and real estate agents. By all accounts, it…
From 26 November 2018, employers will no longer able to employ students on a Post Study Work Visa. This visa was available to migrants who were on a Post Study Work Visa after completing their studies in New Zealand. The original intent of this visa was to allow students to get relevant work experience in…