Director of Stevens Orchard Lawyers, Nelson

Margot is a founding Director of Stevens Orchard Lawyers, Nelson.

Margot’s broad experience in law includes commercial and property law, trust and estate planning, estate administration, and family law.

When Stevens Orchard formed, it looked for collegiality in law and found it in the LANZ group.

Margot joined the Board in 2022 and is taking over the responsibility for the LANZ newsletter after it hiatus over Covid.

In her spare time, Margot enjoys tramping and cycling with her husband Luke, with a focus on mountain biking and Brevet riding.

Director of BDM Lawyers formerly Keesing McLeod

Treasurer of Law Alliance NZ

Don is a devoted husband and father. Married to Lynda (together over 33 years) and have three beautiful children Michael (Structural Engineer), Elora (Artist with an interest in the law), and Toby (dreaming of football and cricket, loves learning Te Reo and Accounting).

A dedicated professional with excellent interpersonal qualities, communications skills, creative ideas, and leadership strengths. He is a responsible and committed team player who makes a substantial contribution through effective relationship building and efficient control of resources working with a range of professionals to build rapport, trust, and confidence. He enjoys working with people and exercises loyalty, self-motivation, and a willingness to take responsibility for achieving results.

Don has qualifications in law, political science, and international relations and 25 years of business management and latterly legal practice. His firm has recently merged with Tripe Matthews Feist to form Battah Davie Maskell Lawyers or BDM Lawyers.  

His community activities include the work of Rotary, Victim Support, and the Wellington Free Ambulance.  He is Chair of the Wellington Region Victim Support Local Group Committee and was voted onto the National Board of Victim Support in 2012.  He is past President of the Eastern Hutt Rotary Club, past Assistant Governor for Rotary District 9940, and is a Paul Harris Fellow.

Don’s eclectic interests include technology, most sport, cinema, concerts, dramatic arts, travel and generally enjoying life to the full.

Director of Braun Bond and Lomas (BBL Lawyers), Hamilton 

Kieran is a director of Braun Bond and Lomas (BBL Lawyers), a specialist litigation firm based in Hamilton. He became a director of the firm in 2016.

Kieran has a broad range of experience in all areas of dispute resolution and has been involved in litigation at all levels including large-scale litigation involving multi-national corporate entities and cross-border litigation. Kieran has gained significant experience in construction litigation, which continues to be a large part of his practice. After 10 years of experience in the administration of a successful regional sports club, Kieran also has a particular interest in sports law including administrative and disciplinary issues at all levels of the sport.

Away from the law, Kieran is married to Jaime, and they have a son together. When he finds the time, you’ll find him looking for lost balls on a golf course, pretending he is still fit enough to play football or enjoying some quality time with friends and family.

Kieran was elected to the Board in late 2021.

Ian Douglas Todd

A Good Bugga – Gone But Never to be Forgotten

Toddy In Cruise Mode

On Saturday, 10 August 2019 our dear friend and LANZ colleague Ian Todd, affectionately known as Toddy”, passed on.

Toddy, and his Law Partner Alan Wilson, have been members of LANZ since formation.

LANZ is an alliance of Law Firms bound by our desire to formulate and implement procurement arrangements on terms better than those that may apply if we stand alone. Foremost however we are a group of likeminded Lawyers who wish to share camaraderie, to create professional and personal relationships, to foster the desire to help each other, and to create commercial friendship.

In many cases that commercial friendship extends to personal friendship.

LANZ was made for Lawyers like Toddy and could not be what it is without the contributions that men and women like Toddy make to our alliance.

Just a few weeks before his death Peter Jefferies and I were fortunate to be able to attend a Special Sitting held at the Huntly District Court to acknowledge the significant contribution made to the law over the course of 40 years in practice by Ian Todd. We celebrated with “Toddy” and it was an absolute delight to see how chuffed he was with this personal and professional recognition. Not only that but he was genuinely warmed to see us. 

Thank goodness we seized the moment to share this special time with our friend. As one does, we agreed to catch up again and to try and avoid the passing of time which overcomes us all when busy with what we often perceive to be the more important parts of our lives – the Office, mundane chores, doing the lawns, watching Coronation Street, general administration, and so on.

Only three weeks later, it was with regret and much personal sadness that we gathered again to bid farewell to our mate.

Toddy’s warmth, humor, friendliness, special ability as a raconteur, numerous times shared at Conferences, and especially his time with us in LANZ will never be forgotten.

In LANZ we have the Te Toka Koru Award – colloquially referred to as the “Good Bugga Award”. “TE TOKA” being the rock, solid and firm in its steadfastness, and “TE KORU” being an iconic symbol representing the unfolding spiral of life that unifies heaven and earth in a timeless dimension of oneness.

This Award acts as a memorial for the “Gone But Not Forgotten” and recognizes and venerates the living by acknowledging one of our Members each year as being of sufficient personal standing so as to be deserving of our recognition as one amongst us who has underpinned the camaraderie and sharing values that we treasure highly in our alliance. 

Ian Todd was the recipient of the Te Toka Koru Award in 2018.

From Ian’s reaction, it was clear that the awarding of Te Toku Kora was a great personal honor recognizing the significant esteem and high regard held for him by LANZ and its members. 

How fortunate we were to honor the living man - a genuine Good Bugga and an immensely proud recipient.

Allan Gallagher (Founder of Law Alliance NZ)

Section Purchases: Why do you need a property lawyer?

It is the dream of many New Zealanders to buy a section and build their ideal home, but what starts as an idealistic step towards ‘living the dream’ can turn into a finance guzzling nightmare if you go into it with your eyes wide shut. Your home will likely be the most valuable asset you own, so it makes sense to take every step you can to protect it and your future financial security.

A great location is crucial if you want your build to provide you with a healthy capital gain. Never underestimate the value of having a fantastic view, a north-facing garden, or being in an established popular neighborhood – people will always pay a premium for these features if you do ever decide to sell. However, no matter how great a section looks, it is critical you don’t take the vendor’s word as gospel when it comes to building consent, power and sewage connection, or anything else you need. You have to do your homework!

Why you need a property lawyer to help with due diligence

Due diligence is when you investigate the section before you purchase it. Many a landowner has been caught out by misunderstanding reports and failing to recognize the significance of some of the included information. Professional interpretation by a specialist property lawyer is paramount for the:

Certificate of Title

This is to check who has legal ownership of the section and if there are rights and restrictions associated with the land including (but not restricted to) mortgages, easements, and covenants.

The importance of this document cannot be underplayed. It tells you whether the section has the right zoning and covenants for the type of build you want. Some restrictions found in Certificate of Titles go far beyond the expected building height and size stipulations: where you can build a shed, the type of fencing you must use, or where you can position the washing line, etc. Similarly, people often assume (especially when purchasing a lot in a subdivision) they’ll be able to get services connected, but if it’s not documented in an easement it’s not guaranteed.

Land Information Memorandum report (LIM)

This report is Council issued and contains legal information related to the section such as earthquake damage (liquefaction, lateral spread, and changes in level), erosion or flood risk, potential contamination, drainage systems, and consents or notices from power or gas companies, etc. Crucially it also tells you about future new developments - is there going to be a motorway built or roads widened in the local area? Or conversely, if there are protected historic features such as trees on the section which will put a stop to your development.

You really cannot afford to skip or botch these due diligence investigations; they are there for your protection!

Land Covenants

Many subdivisions are subject to Land Covenants which are a set of guidelines that section owners need to abide by when building and utilizing their section. Each sub-divisions covenants can vary, but most will have building guidelines, fencing guidelines, and developer approval. You must be aware of what is in the covenants, an example is a subdivision that might prohibit caravans from being parked on the site. Now if you live on-site in your caravan during the build of your home to save money, you may find that you could get a fine from the developer of the subdivision. Some covenants might prohibit the use of gas cylinders (except BBQ), so you might not be able to have a gas hob in your kitchen. It is important to know what is in the Land Covenants before your contract goes unconditional.

Why you need a lawyer to help with a section purchase

The complexity and interlinking nature of the information found through due diligence can often hide issues that give the purchaser power. Identified areas of concern are bargaining tools for negotiating on price and/or introducing a sunset clause. Your property lawyer will advise you on how to negotiate the best price for the section and review the sale and purchase agreement. Remember, your property lawyer works for you and will ensure your position is protected.

Yes, legal fees are an additional cost to add to your build, but compare them to the cost of having to remedy an issue (either to fix or insure) and the impact it may have on any resale value. You really cannot afford to skip or botch these investigations; they are there for your protection.

Weston Ward & Lascelles are a highly skilled team of specialist property lawyers in Christchurch with great success in negotiating contracts of sale for section purchases in Canterbury and across New Zealand. If you have any questions relating to section purchases, get in touch today with our property team. Click here to arrange a call.

https://www.wwl.co.nz

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At the Law Connection, we believe it's not just about the Law but about the people too. Our friendly, experienced lawyers, legal executives, and staff will provide you with the legal advice you will understand while taking your wishes into account.

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Established in 1985, The Law Connection is a well-known firm of Kapiti lawyers experienced in Family Law, the legalities of Property Conveyancing, Commercial Law, Power of Attorney, Immigration, Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning, and Dispute Resolution.

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At Shanahan's Law, we endeavor to provide you with practical advice that you can use to help guide you through whatever legal issues you might be having. We communicate in plain English, are very customer focused and aim to help you as efficiently as possible. Our team is only ever a phone call or email away. Rest assured, that as a customer of Shanahan's, you are with the right lawyer.

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Braun Bond & Lomas is a nationally recognized boutique law firm specializing in litigation and dispute resolution. Because we focus on litigation, we are able to provide expert knowledge in this specialist area. We work with other law firms to provide this specialist service to many of their clients. Our approach means we can work with you on specific matters when needed and allows you to maintain your relationship with your client for all other legal issues. We can help with a range of matters including employment, defective construction, farming, lease, tax, trusts, and estate disputes. 

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