Layburn Hodgins - Lawyers

Changes to mortgage rules 1 July 2024 - Debt to Income (DTI) Restrictions explained.

DTI We are setting new debt-to-income (DTI) rules for banks on home lending. Banks will need to follow the rules from 1 July 2024, for home lending they make from that date onwards.

An update on the First Home Buyers grant.

The First Home Grant is gone, what will that mean for buyers? Up to 40% of first home buyers were using the now-scrapped grant programme, getting up to $10,000 for a house.

⚠️ ARE YOUR PERSONAL AFFAIRS UP TO DATE? ⚠️

Click the link below for a FREE legal health check. It only takes a couple of minutes and you will receive an instant report...easy and informative.

https://www.layburn.co.nz/DIY-Documents/DIY-Document-Builder/Instance/Personal-WOF

You may go to your GP regularly but when was the last time you had a legal health check – we think its just as important!

Many of us have an annual check-up with our GP to make sure that we are in good physical health and to hopefully detect illnesses early. But when was the last time you had a legal health check or spent time making sure that your estate plan is current and that your family aren’t left in the lurch if you die suddenly?

By just answering a few questions (honestly) we will tell you some of the key documents you need and the risk of not having them. Don't worry, we won't be spamming you afterwards, we just want to offer straightforward advice about your Will and to help you decide whether you need Powers of Attorneys, a Family Trust or a Contracting Out Agreement.

Remember – early prevention is better than looking for a cure later on.

⚠️ First home buyers ⚠️

Government announces lending changes, financial services reform Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop made the announcement this afternoon.

Governors Bay Swim For Hope We are raising money for the ‘I am Hope’ foundation and need the communities help.

The team at Layburn Hodgins wish you all a safe, merry Christmas and a happy new year. Our Director’s and staff are now on a well deserved break. We reopen on 8 January 2024.

Here’s Buddy!

We’d like to introduce you to Buddy, the Layburn Hodgins elf. He comes out at night and gets into all sorts of mischief!

We are excited to announce the promotion of two valued team members, Alex Margaritis to an Associate, and Jenny Francis to a Senior Solicitor.

A key part of our culture is to work with you on your pathway journey. We acknowledge your outstanding expertise, effort and achievement and congratulate you both.

Well done!

Yeah, Baby!
Family Law Conference 2023

Our newly appointed Immigration Lawyer, Riz, is speaking today at NTA Campus, McLeans Island.

We are delighted to announce the following promotions:

Kylie Dawson - Kylie has been promoted to Senior Associate and has been with Layburn Hodgins since October 2009. Kylie practices in property, commercial and private client law.

Claire Finn - Claire has also been promoted to Senior Associate and has been with Layburn Hodgins since February 2017. Claire practices in our Family Law team.

Congratulations!

https://www.layburn.co.nz/Get-to-Know-Us/Our-Team/Instance/Kylie-Dawson

https://www.layburn.co.nz/Get-to-Know-Us/Our-Team/Instance/Claire-Finn

We support Pink Shirt Day. 🌸

The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2022 (the Amendment Act) became law on 9 May 2022.

The purpose of the Amendment Act is to provide greater protections for people who buy or own unit title properties.

The Amendment Act will:

1. Require a wider range of information to be provided to prospective buyers and provide additional rights to buyers if these requirements are not met
2. Strengthen governance arrangements in relation to a body corporate
3. Raise standards for body corporate managers
ensure adequate planning of long-term maintenance projects
4. Introduce new dispute resolution rules and fees
5. Allow for greater flexibility in relation to utility interests and charges to unit owners
6.. Give new powers to the regulator.

The Amendment Act makes changes and additions to the Unit Titles Regulations 2011 (the Regulations). Further regulations will need to be developed by Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – to support some of the changes in the Act.

Find out more:

Unit Titles - Home Unit title owners own a defined part of a building, such as an apartment, and share common areas such as lifts, lobbies or driveways with other owners.

Thank you so much CommArc for our 90th anniversary gift. We appreciate the thought and recognition of our pretty special milestone!

We have been in business for 90 years! We are so thankful for the longevity of the business and grateful for the people that have worked alongside us. We extend our thanks to our past and present staff and of course - every client! This is a celebration worth celebrating. Happy 90 years Layburn Hodgins - Lawyers.

Thanks to St John’s for visiting our offices to train our staff on the basics of CPR and how to use an AED.
Did you know that applying CPR and rapid defibrillation can increase a patients chance of survival by up to 40%. But for every minute without CPR or defibrillation, a patients chance of survival falls by 10-15%.
We hope our staff never have to use the skills they were taught today, but we are so glad they had the chance to learn these skills, just in case.

STAFF APPRECIATION DAY - MONDAY 24 APRIL 2023
The Directors of Layburn Hodgins - Lawyers are showing their appreciation for their staff and giving them a long ANZAC weekend. Our offices will be closed on Monday 24 April 2023. We will be open as usual on Wednesday 26 April 2023.

A great big thank you to Sue McKenzie from Loan Market Barrington!! Look at all our treats 🐣

Merry Christmas!

We have to share this fantastic feedback (names altered for privacy)
Quote: "THE INCREDIBLE NEW LAWYER WE HAVE FOUND"

Upon the recommendation of our retiring family lawyer, # # #, my in-laws (XX & XX) came to Layburn Hodgins for the recent buying and selling of a couple of properties and some trust administration. To say Alex has been incredible, would be a complete understatement.

The speed, clarity and care in every interaction XX and XX had with him has been beyond expectation and they are stark raving converts to his capability, talking to anyone who will listen about “the incredible new lawyer we’ve found”. I’ve been able to see this first hand with Alex as well, I help XX and XX with a lot of their administration so have been privy to the communication between themselves and Alex, I am equally as impressed.

I call this out because the way Alex conducts himself is the absolute key to securing new business - doing what you say you are going to do, is the absolute best sales tactic an organisation can adopt.
As a result of Alex’s duty of care, he is now also doing the conveyancing on my brother’s new property and my husband and I intend to move to Alex and Layburn Hodgins in the new year to work on our upcoming investment property purchases. I’d also imagine that it won’t be long until more of our family and friends look to move as a domino effect.

Congratulations on not only having but building an environment where people like Alex get to create the kind of client experience that he does - success really does come from it.

Sharing this lovely feedback

Hi Eric and Ilona

I want to thank you for all the work that you have done for me and the family in the past few months. It has been a really good experience working with you both. I feel that you have kept us informed of where we are at throughout the process. The work has involved some fairly significant elements for us financially and on a personal level so the support throughout the process is great.

We appreciate happy feedback!

“Thank you so much for your kind and honest help and advice. Your experience in this area was much insightful and transformed the experience as growth”

Our Team I am a committee member organising the NZLS Canterbury-Westland branch 150th celebrations in October 2018. I have also been a Canterbury Westland branch family law committee member since 2016.

We are here to help you! Our specialist fields are:

✔️ Immigration
✔️ Wills
✔️ Estates
✔️ First home buyers
✔️ House purchase
✔️ House sales
✔️ Refinancing
✔️ Subdivisions
✔️ Commercial and Business
✔️ Rural
✔️ Employment
✔️ Relationship Property
✔️ Contracting out Agreements
✔️ Family, Parenting
✔️ Family Trusts
✔️ and so much more!

Contact [email protected]

We are proud supporters of Gumboot Friday - we encourage you make a donation, where every cent is invested in free counselling for under 25’s.
Today we held a morning tea and our staff fundraised $329.00. Layburn Hodgins doubled this amount by donating $658.00. Total efforts from our firm resulted in donating $987.00. How good is that 🙌
To make an easy $3 donation - text BOOTS to 469.

Law Dinner 2022

Thanks so much Janine - the most amazing gift basket - truly luxe !!! Giftbaskets.co.nz

If you are a first home buyer, now is your chance!

An increase in first home buyers shows a fall in market prices, with real Estate Agents reporting that they are seeing more first home buyers attending open homes than previous months. The Reserve Bank has recently predicted that house prices could fall up to 20% from their peak, which for any first home buyer who may be been discouraged by the sky rocketing house prices in previous months, this is certainly good news. Reports from Real Estate Agents are showing an increase in the demand for property appraisals, which indicates that sellers have more realistic expectations on pricing. The recent removal of the house price cap for the Kainga Ora First Home Loan means you could purchase your first home with only a 5% deposit! As we come out of winter and sellers start to place their properties on the market with realistic expectations, what better time than now to secure your first home before the housing market creeps up again.

For more information please contact Emily Dwight - email: [email protected]

Seeds for housing market recovery are being sown, survey shows An increase in the number of first home buyers entering the market suggests its downward slide might be nearing an end, one economist says.

One-off national public holiday Monday 26 September 2022.
The Government has announced a one-off public holiday to mark the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Businesses may open, but are subject to the normal public holiday requirements under the Holidays Act.
For more information, click the link below:

Public holidays When a public holiday falls on a day your employee would usually work, they’re entitled to a paid day off, no matter how long they’ve been working for you.

Kia ora, kia pai te ra!