Staley Cardoza combines nearly three decades of local experience with a genuinely personal approach. We have found that no one has ever complained about being kept properly informed.

As a boutique firm, we're known for clear communication and keeping clients informed at every stage of a property transaction, not just at the start and the end.

If more than one person is going on the title, a formal Property Sharing Agreement, sometimes called a co-ownership agreement, is a critical document to have.

These arrangements often arise in private or off-market transactions, where the parties know each other and negotiate directly rather than buying through a real estate agent, although not always.

As part of our residential conveyancing and wider conveyancing services, we regularly act for friends, family members and other co-owners, including arrangements involving the “Bank of Mum and Dad”.

A good Property Sharing Agreement sets the rules clearly from the beginning. It records who contributed what, how mortgage payments and other costs are to be shared, and what happens if one owner wants or needs to sell their share.

The exit arrangements should also be clear, including how a share is valued, whether the other owners have the first opportunity to buy it, and how any sale or buyout can be handled fairly for everyone involved.

Your conveyancing lawyer must make sure the ownership structure and agreement work together properly from the outset. These arrangements work best when everyone starts on the same page. Good property conveyancing and careful drafting will keep expectations clear if circumstances change.

A cross lease is a common type of title, often found with older and smaller homes in established neighbourhoods. First-home buyers encounter them regularly, and they can be more complicated than an ordinary freehold title.

With a cross lease, there is the underlying land, being the whole site on which the flats or buildings sit, and there are also the individual “flats” on top. Each owner owns a combination of a share in the underlying land and their own flat, with each flat occupied exclusively by its owner. A registered “lease” sets out the obligations between the flat owners.

Two things are really important.

First, owners are often required to share the responsibility and costs for maintaining any common or shared driveways, common drains, shared roofs or gutters, party walls and other shared infrastructure.

Second, the cross-lease plan should match exactly what was actually built. In other words, the external footprint of the flat (i.e. the outline of the actual house – as it appears in an aerial view) should match exactly what is shown on the cross lease plan.  If things do not match, the title may be technically defective and harder to sell.

Cross leases are a good example of why careful residential conveyancing matters. Your conveyancing lawyer should check the lease, the plan and the title before you commit, as part of proper property conveyancing.

As a general rule, if you are planning alterations that may change the external shape or footprint of the dwelling, a cross lease can make things considerably more complicated. Talk to us before you commit.

A boundary adjustment changes the legal boundary between neighbouring properties.

In most cases, this is technically a subdivision, even though existing properties are being reconfigured, rather than brand new lots being created as part of a conventional subdivision.

The legal work can be less simple. A boundary adjustment will usually involve a surveyor, council subdivision requirements and transfers of the precise areas of land moving from one title to another. Mortgages, easements and other registered interests may also need to be considered, varied or released.

A simple idea can create a surprising number of technical issues. We love this kind of thing, and it is exactly the sort of subdivision conveyancing we regularly handle.

These are two different ways in which two or more people can own property together.

Joint tenants own the property jointly rather than in separate or distinct shares or fractions. The important feature is the right of survivorship: if one of the owners dies, the property passes automatically to the surviving joint owner or owners.

Tenants in common each own a distinct and defined share of the property. If one owner dies, their separate share forms part of their estate and passes under the terms of their will.

It is worth getting this right at the start. Your conveyancing lawyer should make sure the ownership structure matches the deal.

Conveyancing costs in NZ vary depending on the type of transaction, whether it's a straightforward residential sale, a purchase with unusual conditions, or a subdivision requiring new titles. We'll give you a clear, upfront estimate of our conveyancing fees before starting work, and flag early if anything changes the scope, so there are no surprises at settlement.

Our office is located in the lower Octagon in the heart of Dunedin, making it convenient for clients across the city. We also regularly work with clients throughout Otago and across Aotearoa by phone and video, so distance doesn't have to get in the way of good legal advice.