News and views

One of the perennial problems that farmers face is that of stock wandering or stock getting out and interfering with, or causing damage to, neighbouring properties. Generally speaking, the issue of having a small number of stock grazing on your land for a short time until they are put back in the neighbour’s property may not be too great a concern.

Once largely the domain of the well-heeled, personalised agreements about what will happen to assets in a relationship should a couple separate, or one partner die, are becomingly increasingly mainstream.

If I could choose for every single adult one New Year’s resolution, very high on my list would be getting your affairs in order.

With record-breaking real estate prices in and around the Upper Clutha and wider Queenstown Lakes District, it’s not surprising so many property owners have swarmed to peer-to-peer accommodation platforms, like Airbnb, to reap the rewards.

When your employee becomes ill, or has an injury, with long-term effects, it takes not only a toll on them of course, but also on you as their employer as there is sometimes quite a disruption to your business.

We Kiwis love our real estate – in my experience, though, there are some who aren’t quite so enamoured with the checks and balances needed when buying a property.

It has been estimated that there are between 300,000-500,000 trusts in this country. Trusts have been established for many different reasons, including estate planning, creditor protection, to ensure access to rest home subsidies, tax benefits or for protection from relationship property claims.

Invercargill City Council’s decision earlier this year to abruptly close the Southland Museum and Art Gallery shone the spotlight back on earthquake strengthening, and serves as a reminder to all owners and occupiers of commercial buildings of the new laws now at play.