News and views

When it comes to “signing your life away”, there are few more literal examples than granting a power of attorney.

New earthquake strengthening legislation is well and truly back in the spotlight following last month’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the upper South Island and lower North Island – and all eyes are now on whether the new legislation’s implementation will be fast-tracked in light of the latest tremors.

Quite often, something will pop up on the legal or general news radar that casts me into “I wonder” mode … promptly sparking a Google-fest of searching and cross-referencing to satiate my curiosity.

In a property market this hot, it could be tempting to decide to ride the wave and speed into listing your home to capitalise on the boom.

I’ve had an active interest in property transactions for many years from different vantage points, both as a lawyer and as a bank lender. So I’ve seen property transactions go both good and bad, and everything in between, from a number of perspectives.

As we begin to look at 2016, the year that was, Clayton v Clayton will go down in the history books as one of the most significant legal happenings of the year - and one of the most defining cases in New Zealand relationship property and trust law history.

The third wave of the Government’s property tax overhaul arrived recently, and it’s already presenting some quirks that can catch out the unwary.