Music group Baha Men asked this in their 1998 single. It’s a question
you may well be asking if it’s your dog that gets out and is involved
in a dog attack.

It’s a common misconception that you don’t need a Land Information Memorandum (LIM) report when you buy bare
land, or when the house and buildings have been signed off by your local authority. A LIM is provided by the local
authority and contains information it holds on the property.

For many of us, buying a home is the largest purchase we will ever make. That’s why spending a few hundred dollars on a pre-purchase building report is so important as it can save you hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars in years to come thousands, of dollars in years to come. The report is one of the final hurdles in purchasing a property, so it’s important to know the process and your rights as a purchaser and also as a vendor.

Often people agree to accept the appointment as an attorney under an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) without really understanding what’s involved and what will be expected of them.

The Employment Relations Amendment Act 2014 (which amends the Employment Relations Act 2000 and comes into force on 6 March 2015) makes significant changes to New Zealand employment law.

On 1 January 2015 the Building Amendment Act 2013 came into force. As well as strengthening the consumer protection provisions currently in the Building Act 2004, it also implements new obligations for builders and increases their potential liability. If you work in the building industry, it’s important that you are aware of these changes so you don’t get caught out.

The Le Pine team stands out from other conveyancing options...

Le Pine & Co Lawyers and Safe T Works have joined forces to help your business keep its staff safe and healthy. You don’t want to be next to have a workplace accident and face the horrendous costs to you, your worker, your families and your business.

In April 2015 the new Health & Safety at Work Act comes into effect. The Act has important new obligations for businesses, trading trusts, profit and not-for-profit organisations and un-incorporated societies. We will be holding 2 free seminars you can attend to find out more.

Can you stop your kin from fighting over your fortune? Maybe not, but early preparation can help! An interesting NZ Herald read on getting your affairs in order. Not that we all have these fortunes to protect but there are lessons for us all.

Tobias Young has left the hustle and bustle of Auckland, where he practiced construction and company law, to join Le Pine & Co. Tobias joins Tony Devlin in the Commercial, Property and Trust Team and brings with him a wealth of experience in commercial property, asset planning and trust law as well as business and commercial law.

We are holding a number of seminars over the next month - perfect if you have any questions about blended families, relationship & property trusts, wills, enduring powers of attorney, rest home subsidies and family trusts.

A recent case highlights the importance of using a fair process with your employees. A worker who told her employer she would send someone round to him and the visit “wouldn’t be nice” if he did not pay her was wrongly fired by text message, the Employment Relations Authority has found.

Discussions with industry leaders highlight a significant concern that the industry is currently losing a critical battle; the ability to convince the country's wider population that farmers are committed to balancing the needs of their business with the requirement to preserve the environment for the future in a sustainable way.

We are excited to announce that our new website is Live.

More than 25 per cent of New Zealand's productive sector is in agribusiness yet it is widely perceived as one of the more difficult and inaccessible sectors for investment - perceptions held by retail investors, large fund managers and those overseas looking to invest in New Zealand's agricultural success story.

New crowdfunding sites are giving investors the chance to earn something other than t-shirts and trial products - money.

Retirement Village Living

Best or worst investment?