The use of drones is no longer limited to government agencies, technical gurus or the super wealthy. The market has been flooded with drones that are reasonably priced and are easy to use. These high-tech pieces of equipment are, however, bound by Civil Aviation Rules. In this article, we explore what rules there are around their use.
Drone technology allows a pilot to film and photograph from the sky allowing an aerial view that was once only available through the use of planes, helicopters or satellites. More and more businesses are using drone technology to assist them. Drones have been used in the agricultural sector to aid crop and stock inspection and, in August last year, Domino’s Pizza successfully delivered a pizza by drone.
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Options for parents to help
It’s every Kiwi’s dream to own their own quarter-acre share of paradise. Unfortunately for many young people today, not only are the quarter-acre sections fast disappearing into multi-complex developments, but it’s also becoming harder than ever before with an ever-rising property market.
Every time you turn on the news, we hear something about the housing unaffordability in Auckland. Those south of the Bombay Hills start to get a bit glassy-eyed when listening to this on repeat. However, since the government’s introduction of the ‘LVR’ rules in October 2016 aimed at improving affordability in these markets, we must pay attention as all of New Zealand is affected.
The LVR explained
The loan-to-value ratio (LVR) is a measure of how much a lender will lend against a mortgaged property compared with the value of that property. Borrowers with LVRs of more than 80% (that’s less than 20% deposit) are often stretching their financial resources. As well, they are more vulnerable to an economic or financial shock, such as a recession or an increase in interest rates.
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Hidden titles
If you or a member of your family have been granted a protection order under the Domestic Violence Act 1995 you can apply to the Registrar-General of Land under s108 of the Act to hide the information held about you on the Land Register which may otherwise disclose your whereabouts.
In practice this means that no-one can then search for your title information without your consent. The hidden title direction lasts for five years unless the protection order is discharged earlier; and it can be revoked at any time if your circumstances change.
Co-owners of the property must consent to your application as their details will also be concealed.
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Renting out residential property is a great way to make some extra money, pay your mortgage off faster and build an investment nest egg. It can cause real frustration, however, when your tenant fails to pay rent on time.
To avoid costly delays, you should know the steps to take that will allow early intervention to either get the rent payments back on track or to bring the tenancy to an end.
Early intervention is key when it comes to dealing with rent payment problems. Your tenancy agreement should clearly state how rent is to be paid and when. You should also keep and monitor rent records so you will know straight away if your tenant falls behind in payments. If your tenant does miss a payment the first step is to contact them to find out the reason for that missed payment and to make a payment plan. If your tenant doesn’t pay the overdue rent, below is a guide to help fix the problem.
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An agreement to lease is an agreement between a landlord and tenant of commercial property. It gives the parties an opportunity to record their leasing arrangements before they are formalised in a deed of lease.
There are many details to be worked through between parties to a lease. The agreement to lease should set out most of the details between the parties so when it comes to signing the deed of lease there is no confusion or discrepancy.
What should be included?
The agreement to lease needs to clearly identify the parties to the agreement and the premises to be leased.
In addition, it should record the annual rent, any reviews of the annual rent, the term of the lease, any renewals of the lease as well as a commencement date and the details of any guarantors required.
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It will all come out in the wash: non-compliance with minimum employment standards
The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) has imposed a significant penalty of $145,000 on Manukau Auto Valet Limited for its failure to pay minimum wages and/or holiday pay to at least 115 of its employees.[1] The penalty was imposed in addition to Manukau Auto Valet’s reimbursement of $96,451 to its employees, which was owed as a result of its non-compliance.
In total there were 322 separate breaches of employment law, each being capable of being penalised with a fine of up to $20,000 that created a total potential liability of $6,440,000. However, as is usual in situations like this, the ERA applied a globalised approach in respect of the breaches and considered other relevant matters such as Manukau Auto Valet’s co-operation. The penalty was reduced to $145,000, which is still a significant sum.
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Relationship property for companies
Shareholders’ agreements are comparable to relationship property agreements (colloquially known as ‘pre-nuptial agreements’), as the objective of each is to establish rules for relationship property – whether it’s in your business or your personal life.
Not all relationships were built to last forever, and even the most stable relationship amongst shareholders may waver. Issues may also arise unexpectedly, such as the death of a shareholder or the need for a shareholder to sell their shares. Planning in advance for these events can pre-empt a dispute, and save some costs for the respective parties.
Unlike a company constitution, a share-holders’ agreement is not registered with the Companies Office and therefore it has a greater degree of confidentiality. Company constitutions generally contain the nuts and bolts provisions to operate the company that are not provided for in the Companies Act 1993.
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Grants available to insulate rental properties
Recent changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 require all rental properties to have ceiling and underfloor insulation meeting a set standard, where reasonably practicable, by 1 July 2019.
A limited number of grants (for 50% of the cost) are available through Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes, on a first-come-first-served basis for rental properties occupied by low-income tenants and are not owned by a government agency. The criteria are:
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Key tax considerations
Becoming an Airbnb host sounds like the perfect way to fund some overseas travel for yourself and rent out your home while you are away.
The popularity of online booking platforms such as Airbnb, BookaBach and Holiday Homes has grown significantly over the past few years. They are seen as easy for property owners to market and rent their property to the end user, and it turns idle holiday homes or spare bedrooms into income earning assets. BookaBach currently has more than 12,200 holiday rentals and Airbnb has 15,000+ hosts. Airbnb hosts’ average annual income in 2016 was $3,800.
If you want to become an Airbnb host, you’ll need to consider your income tax situation, GST and your ownership structure…
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Know your rights and obligations
Many episodes of Neighbours at War told of disputes regarding shared driveways. Whether you currently own a property or you’re in the market to buy a property with a shared driveway, it pays to know your rights and obligations to ensure you and your neighbour won’t be featuring on the next episode.
Right of way easement
The most common shared driveway is formed by an easement, granting ‘A’ the right of way over ‘B’ (or part of ‘B’). The rights and obligations of each party will be found in the easement certificate or instrument registered on the titles to the respective properties. It’s likely those easement instruments will refer to the Land Transfer Regulations 2002 and Schedule 5 of the Property Law Act 2007, which set out the implied rights and covenants that apply in right of way easements.
Both the Regulations and the Act allow the grantee and the grantor (and their agents, invitees, tenants and so on) the right to pass and re-pass over the easement area on foot, or with vehicles, machinery, plant and stock. The parties must repair any damage that they cause and they must keep it clear of obstructions such as parked vehicles or wheelie bins. If your neighbour parks on the right of way but you can still get past, then they may not be in breach of the implied rights.
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