December 2023 The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) allows for any person to make a request for a district plan to be amended. This is known as a private plan change. In this article we explain what a private plan change is, and what the process involves. District plans govern land use throughout New Zealand.… Read More.

March 2021 Paper roads There are thousands of roads situated throughout rural New Zealand that have never been physically formed and may never be. This is particularly the case in rural areas, where there are significant stretches of unformed roads running through farmland, better known as paper roads. Although paper roads are unformed, they are… Read More.

September 2019 Trespass notices are sometimes used by schools to deal with difficult or disruptive parents or persistent complainants. However, trespass notices against parents should only be used as a last resort when it is really necessary and ordinary warning letters have failed. Although the school has an obligation to ensure the safety and well-being… Read More.

September 2019 Owners of animals will be aware that they have the potential to cause significant damage to property including land, crops or other animals. When animals are properly managed, this damage can be controlled. However, when livestock strays onto a neighbour’s land and causes damage, a question arises: who is liable for the damage?… Read More.

June 2019 If you’re going to buy a property it is crucial that you know what interests affect the title and the rights of the owner. Various interests registered against a title may set out rules and restrictions about how the property can be used or enjoyed. One type of interest that commonly appears on… Read More.

November 2018 In November the Land Transfer Act 2017 (‘LTA’) replaced the Land Transfer Act 1952. The purpose of the new Act is to modernise and simplify the law in relation to the transfer and use of land in New Zealand. One of the changes in the LTA will be to allow the registration of… Read More.

September 2018 When considering buying property, you may hear the term ‘easement’. An easement is a legal instrument that gives someone rights to use another person’s land in some specified way. Under the new Land Transfer Act 2017 the terms around easements have been modernised, but the fundamental principles around easements remain unchanged. The new… Read More.

November 2016 Recently, we were asked whether a lessee under a farm lease was allowed to grant a licence to a beekeeper for a honey venture. Was the landlord required to consent to this? Was it a breach of the lease if it had already been done? Surprisingly, there is very little case law on… Read More.