Archives for April 2019

Historically, the term ‘chain’ has been used to express a unit of measurement in respect of land and distance. Coincidently, the “Queen’s Chain” describes the kilometres of Crown land which exists throughout New Zealand to provide the public with access to coastlines, rivers, lakes and native bush. In reality, the Queen’s Chain is a term describing what is now generally accepted as the marginal strips of land or esplanade strips, which are normally 20 metres wide and adjoining many lakes, rivers and the foreshore. It can also include land which has been retained by the Crown for conservation purposes. These
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The title is how land information and ownership is recorded. It includes a plan of the land including the lot number and size of the land. It records who owns the property and any interests in the land such as, mortgages and easements. There are several ways that land can be held. These include fee simple, cross-lease, unit title and leasehold. A fee simple title is where the property is owned freehold and is the most common form of ownership. There are no restrictions on this type of ownership. A cross lease title is where there are several people who
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When a loved one passes away it can be a stressful time for the family. This is made easier when the deceased has left a Will which names their executors and clearly states their wishes. This can include directions as to burial or cremation and specific wishes for their funeral. The role of an executor is to administer the deceased’s estate. The first step is to get a list of the deceased’s assets and liabilities. If these exceed a certain amount (currently $15,000) then an application for Probate is required. What is “Probate”? Probate is a court order that formally
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