Commercial - Parry Field Lawyers

There are many business structure options in New Zealand, including companies, partnerships and Trusts, and you want to be sure you are picking the right one. We frequently assist clients who are considering starting a business navigate the different business structure options to find what best suits their needs. The various business structure options each have their own pros and cons. What the best structure is for you will depend on your particular circumstance, desire and purpose.

The simple and easy structure which are well understood, such as a Company or Sole Trader, will work best for most businesses. If you are purpose driven, a Charitable Trust or Incorporated Society may be more appropriate. Increasingly we are also working with clients who want to merge both purpose and profits and for these clients we assist by creating unique dual structure approaches. In this article we have summarised the key points for the most common structures that are used in New Zealand. We are happy to meet and discuss options with you.

Two other critical points before we look at the options:

Get your strategy and purpose right before you decide on a legal entity type to use. Each one has positives and negatives so know what your end goal and the impact you want to see is first – after that look at which will help you get there. They are each just tools for empowering you to have impact.
Second, we are offering legal thoughts on key elements of these structures but there are other considerations too – in particular always ensure you get great accounting and tax input on the financial side of these alternatives.

Now turning to the options:

Company
Who	Owner = Shareholder Manager = DirectorThe owners may also be the manager
Liability	Is a separate legally recognised entity
Laws	The Companies Act 1993 governs companies
Who signs	The Director
If things go wrong	Companies limit liability for the owner*
Key documents	None required. Can choose to adopt a constitution or shareholders agreement
Visibility	Ownership and management is publicly visible on Companies Register
Difficulty to start	Moderate

* There are certain limited circumstances when the owners of the company may be liable. If the owners are also managing the company as directors, they are exposed to certain liability as managers.

Sole Trader
Who	Owned and managed by ‘sole’ owner
Liability	Not separate from entity
Laws	No specific law governs sole traders
Who signs	The owner
If things go wrong	The owner is personally liable
Key documents	None required
Visibility	Private and not registered
Difficulty to start	Easy

Partnerships
Who	Owner = the Partners Manager = the Partners manage
Liability	Not separate from entity
Laws	Partnership Law Act 2019
Who signs	Partners
If things go wrong	Owners are personally and jointly liable
Key documents	None required Can choose to have a Partnership Agreement
Visibility	Private and not registered
Difficulty to start	Moderate

* One owner can bind all owners.

Limited Partnership
Who	Owner = Limited Partner Manager = General Partner
Liability	Is a separate legally recognised entity
Laws	Limited Partnership Act 2008
Who signs	The General Partner
If things go wrong	The General Partner Limit liability for the owner**
Key documents	Requires a Limited Partnership Agreement
Visibility	Private for the Limited Partners, public for General Partner
Difficulty to start	High

* Each Limited Partner will account for tax in accordance with its individual tax position.

** If the owner participates in the management of the business, they will be liable.

Unincorporated Joint Venture
Who	Owners = Partners Management determined by the Joint Venture Agreement
Liability	Not separate from entity
Laws	Contract law, but no specific law governs Unincorporated Join Venture
Who signs	Each partner
If things go wrong	Partners separately liable or as decided by the Joint Venture Agreement*
Key documents	None required Can choose to have a Joint Venture Agreement
Visibility	Private and not registered
Difficulty to start	High

* Owner will account for tax in accordance with its individual tax position.

Trading Trust
Who	Owner = settlor/donor gives assets (trust fund) to the Trading Trust on trust for the benefit of the beneficiary Management = the Trustee Company, manages the trust fund and pass on benefits to the beneficiary
Liability	Not separate from entity, creates an equitable relationship
Laws	Trusts Act 2019 and Companies Act 1993
Who signs	The Trustee Company
If things go wrong	The Trustee Company
Key documents	Trust Deed
Visibility	Private and not registered
Difficulty to start	High

Charitable Trust
Who	Owners = settlor/donor gives property (trust fund) to the Charitable Trust to benefit the community through charitable purposes Management = Trustees manage the trust fund to advance the charitable purposes
Liability	Is a separate legally recognised entity
Laws	Trusts Act 2019 and Charitable Trust Act 1957
Who signs	The Trustees
If things go wrong	The Trustees
Key documents	Trust Deed
Visibility	Registered on Charitable Trust Register and if a registered charity on Charities Services
Difficulty to start	Moderate

Incorporated Society
Who	Management = the Committee manages the funds to advance the purpose
Liability	Is a separate legally recognised entity
Laws	Incorporated Society Act 2022*
Who signs	The Committee, but this depends on the Constitution
If things go wrong	The Committee
Key documents	Constitution
Visibility	Registered on Incorporated Societies Register and if a registered charity on Charities Services
Difficulty to start	Moderate

* This is a new Act which has recently come into force, for more information on the new Act and requirements see our Incorporated Societies Act 2022: Information Hub.

Co-operatives Companies
Who	Owner = Members/shareholders Governance = Directors
Liability	Is a separate legally recognised entity
Laws	Co-operative Companies Act 1996 and Companies Act 1993
Who signs	The Directors
If things go wrong	Companies limit liability for the owners
Key documents	Constitution
Visibility	Registered on Companies
Difficulty to start	Moderate

For lots more information on co-operatives visit Cooperative Business New Zealand – https://nz.coop/

If you would like to discuss or set up the above-mentioned business structure or other commercial matters, you can contact:

Steven Moe, Partner – stevenmoe@parryfield.com
Michael Belay, Solicitor – michaelbelay@parryfield.com
Yang Su, Law Clerk – yangsu@parryfield.com
Sophie Tremewan, Law Clerk – sophietremewan@parryfield.com

Entering into agreement and contracts is a crucial part of business. It is important to ensure that these transactions take place without hiccups, as disputes in contract can be costly, time consuming and damage relationships. In our line of work, we see similarities in the hurdles that trip people up when they are entering into contracts. To help with this we have created this list of 7 useful tips to assist and point out the hurdles to avoid when entering into contractual agreements.

Contract Formation

The basics required for the formations of a contract are: Offer, Consideration (usually money) and Acceptance. If those exist a contract may be in place – even if it is not written down.
Make sure you receive a signed copy of the final version of the contract. We often see issues arising where one party signs and send the contract to the other party, on the understanding that the contract is finalised, but the other party makes further changes before signing or doesn’t sign the contract at all.
It is essential to ensure you receive a finalised contract which is signed by all parties/ which incorporates all agreed changes.

Record Keeping

Save important emails, relevant folders, keeping written records of conversations (follow up email recording what was agreed; meeting minutes etc).
Tailor a system that works for you personally, works for your team and your organisation. Be disciplined and stick to it, making sure the process is clear and being followed by all relevant people.
Take time to review your process every now and again, to ensure they are still fit for purpose.
There are some legislative and contractual requirements for documents and records that must be kept for a specified time. Know your obligations and abide by them.

Language

If you have a few people in your business who enter into contracts for your business then when they are sending an email or making a phone call they have the potential to commit your business to something.
If that’s you, ensure that you do not use language that can commit the business to transactions unless you are 100% sure that what you are doing is acceptable, and achievable. To avoid this use “less binding” phrases that do not commit the company, i.e.
- “I will seek instructions”
- “I will confirm in writing”
- “I will talk to the leadership team and confirm”

Good Faith Transactions

While it is important to maintain good relationship it is hard, expensive and time consuming to get money back once it is paid, so if you are making a payment make sure there is an agreement in place.
To ensure a smooth transaction it is good practice to keep a record of the circumstances of good faith payment with an emphasis on recording when it would be repaid if no agreement was reached.

Variations

Changes to contracts are common practice in business. Variations offer much needed flexibility to agreements and allow contracts to be useful even in changing circumstances. However, poorly managed variations can present more bad than good. Poorly managed variation can be time consuming, expensive and strain the relationship between parties. They can result in misunderstanding or confusion between the parties or end up in lengthy and costly litigation.

Practical Tips:

Ask whether a variation to the contract is necessary, or if it can be dealt with some other way.
Check the processes for variation in agreements.
Clearly specify the terms of the contract that are being varied.
Consider the flow on effects on other clauses.
Minimise as much as possible oral variations and if they occur, record them in writing.

Reviewing Documents

If contract documents are not standard, are new/unfamiliar, have substantial variations to them, or carry the potential for increased liability, we recommend having the documents reviewed. Reviews might be internal, with a colleague or supervisor, or you could let a lawyer review documents.
Make sure you give the person reviewing the documents all relevant paperwork (the full contract) etc; so they can ensure consistency and understand the context when they review.

Confidentiality

Have a system in place to ensure confidentiality is kept and there is a process for dealing with breaches, as they may occur.
Make sure documents are marked as confidential.
When sending sensitive emails, double check who you are sending to and who is copied in to the email. Check long email chains for sensitive material.
Check your legal and contractual requirements. Are their specific requirements in your contracts to keep material confidential, or are there individuals you have to notify if there is a breach?

We hope that these tips are helpful in your negotiation of contracts. If you’d like to discuss then our team of experts would be happy to do so.

This article is not a substitute for legal advice and you should consult your lawyer about your specific situation. Please feel free to contact Steven Moe – stevenmoe@parryfield.com, Michael Belay – michaelbelay@parryfield.com at Parry Field Lawyers

We recently attended a webinar by the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) on 20 July 2020. The purpose was to discuss some reforms to the rules and in particular the new “Urgent Measures Act”.

The purpose of the new changes are to support the Government as part of its business response to COVID by encouraging growth through investment. So there are some simplifications made to the normal OIO process– while also ensuring there are rules in place in relation to sensitive land and other categories of assets.

Before we get into detail it is worth noting that the guides on investing in New Zealand at the OIO website are quite helpful, for example, this one on which transactions need consent.

Overview

There are four key changes:

1. Temporary Emergency Notification Requirements;
2. New national interest assessment;
3. Simplified screening; and
4. Stronger enforcement powers.

In this article we will set out the key points for each of them.

1. Temporary Emergency Notification Requirements

Notification is required in relation to ownership/control there are (no monetary thresholds) and will be needed for increases above 25%, ownership beyond 50%, 75% or to 100%. They said that this is a deliberately broad approach they said. This is a temporary regime which will only apply for a limited time.

Who needs to notify? This should be done by any person who has more than 25% overseas ownership, are non-citizens and non-residents, and have more than 25% control of a board, as well as those who are associates.

What needs to be notified? Purchase of more than 25% of a business, increases in key thresholds (above) and purchase of more than 25% of the property of an NZ business (including land interests that would not be sensitive).

When to notify? 16 June is when legislation came into force, so only for those deals after that.

What do you not need to notify? If you already have consent, or if you need consent under another criteria.

Examples of when notice is needed:

• Direct: An overseas entity buying all shares of an NZ company – needs to be notified, even if a shell company.

• Indirect: Overseas person buying an Australian company that has an NZ entity – need to notify (ie even though already overseas owned).

• Notification of property: If a company is being bought that has property, then you need to notify. If a lease to an overseas person, then it depends if that is more than 25% of the value of the NZ companies property at the NZ Company.

There is no cost to notify and there is a form online. There is a much higher level of information needed than normal. It will take around 35-40 minutes to fill in the form. The type of information required includes type of transaction, if there is a target entity, the investor themselves etc.

Once submitted, they will assess if more details are needed or if the transaction can be approved. Generally this takes around 10 days (if the transaction can proceed). A few applications may be allowed to proceed subject to conditions. A few applications may be denied or need more information.

If more information is required, then you will need to allow a total of 40 working days and the aim is to resolve all within 70 working days.

If a transaction is not notified, there can be serious implications. The highest penalty would be civil penalties of up to $10million.

2. National interest assessment

The OIO emphasised that they want investments to proceed. So the question they ask is going to be: “Is the transaction is contrary to the national interest?” This test will be applied:

• If further assessment is needed;
• If it is a strategically important business; and
• If the Minister of Finance wants to ask more questions about an application.

The OIO will look broadly at factors such as competition, social impacts, character of the investor, national security, public order, international relations, alignment with NZ values and interests as well as broader policy settings. The factors are very broad. As an example, they would look more closely at military technology investments than other investments.

An application could have conditions added to manage risks, or it could be prohibited or it could just proceed without conditions.

3. Simplified Screening

This simplified screening includes that low risk transactions that do not need consent eg small increases in shareholding. There are also automatic standing consents for eg listed entities that are not more than 50% owned overseas, land adjoining sensitive land, managed investment schemes and some debt transactions.

As an example, if an overseas person is buying land next to sensitive land, that may qualify for the automatic standing consent. Also, some loans and debt can qualify for automatic consent.

4. Enforcement powers

These are increased, such as adding enforceable undertakings as a possibility as well as maximum penalties including (changing from $300,000 to $500,000). For a company, it could range from $300k to $10 million. The reason for this is that breaches are serious and so the penalty reflects that.

Conclusion

Overall it appears that the intention is to allow easier investment in New Zealand. However, as you can see from the detail in this short update it is worth speaking with advisors about the particular context as there are likely to be additional points to consider to ensure you qualify for the simpler regime.

For more information the OIO website has a lot of detail. For example, the above is discussed here https://www.linz.govt.nz/overseas-investment/changes-overseas-investment-act.

Please note that this is not a substitute for legal advice and you should contact your lawyer about your specific situation. Please feel free to contact us on 03 348 8480 or by email to Steven Moe – stevenmoe@parryfield.com or Kris Morrison – krismorrison@parryfield.com

In part one and two of our articles on buying and selling a business we looked at both the important issues and what the agreement for sale and purchase should cover. In part three, we will consider the impact of Covid-19 and how it has affected the buying and selling process and further points that need to be considered during these unprecedented times. Whether you are considering selling or purchasing a business, or you have just started the process, the following should be taken into consideration:

Due Diligence

In part one, we explored the importance of due diligence and key questions that should be asked. The effects of Covid-19 should not alter your approach to carrying out due diligence, in fact it may be that a more rigorous approach is taken by buyers to understand the implications Covid-19 has had on the business and how it would fare if another situation like this were to happen again. When carrying out due diligence, both seller and purchaser should be mindful that more time may be required to undertake and complete the process due to the restrictions in place, as the ability to obtain information such as important documentation or carrying out physical inspections may not be possible right away.

Material Adverse Change Clauses

As we are in the midst of the unknown, agreements between buyer and seller will be subject to greater scrutiny and negotiation. The inclusion of material adverse change (MAC) clauses in an agreement is likely to be of particular interest, especially to a buyer. A MAC clause is used to reduce risk and uncertainty for buyers during the period between the agreement and the date the deal closes. Such clauses give the right for the buyer to walk away from a deal. For a seller, taking the current climate into consideration the inclusion of such a clause should be drafted carefully, thinking about what is considered to be a change and looking to the future and the potential of a similar situation occurring again.

Finance

As a buyer, if you are obtaining finance from a third party such as bank, it may take longer and become more difficult. In these uncertain times, banks may be reluctant to lend or may seek additional requirements are satisfied in order to obtain approval. Therefore, it important that the sale and purchase documentation covers the risks that are associated with lending during this time. For example, the seller may want to include a break fee, if finance is unable to be obtained by the buyer. Where a buyer may want the ability to walk away from the deal and have a financing out condition. It will be up the parties to balance the risk and reach an agreement that they are both comfortable with.

Warranties

In this current climate, sellers may be reluctant to agree to warranties about the state of the business, as the long term effects of Covid-19 on a business may not be known for some time. While for buyers it may be that they look at additional situation-specific warranties in relation to this pandemic. Warranties will be subject to robust negations even more so than before, therefore again, it will come down to the parties being able to find the right balance in terms risk.

Other Conditions

The uncertainty for many businesses during this time may see the inclusion of other conditions in a sale and purchase agreement. Such conditions may relate to maintaining current suppliers or current employees.

Conclusion

As the restrictions ease, many are still trying to navigate their way through the unknown. It is difficult to know the long term implications of Covid-19 and effects that it will have had on the businesses that survived the lockdown period. Therefore, it will be important for those looking to buy a business to ensure they have done their ‘homework’. While sellers will need to be upfront and ensure they are covered if a situation like this were to ever occur again.

We often help both buyers or sellers of businesses and in this unique context would be happy to talk about your situation to make sure the agreements work well.

This article is not a substitute for legal advice and you should contact your lawyer about your specific situation. We would be happy to assist in your journey. Please feel free to contact Steven Moe at stevenmoe@parryfield.com or Kris Morrison at krismorrison@parryfield.com should you require assistance.

What should the agreement cover?

In the first part on buying or selling a business here we saw there were some big picture things you need to think about when buying a business. This part will look at what the agreement for sale and purchase should cover and some key things that need to be thought through. While written from the point of view of a Purchaser, it will also raise the same issues that a Seller will need to think through.

Assuming the decision is to purchase the business (rather than the shares of the company – this point was touched on above) then a commonly used template agreement in New Zealand is produced by the Auckland District Law Society. While it provides a base and a process it can also be adapted to reflect the situation. In terms of process what usually happens is the agreement gets signed and it is subject to conditions – examples of the way that it can be customised are:

Documents to be supplied: We commonly add in many additional terms which relate to the due diligence discussed above and what records will be provided. This usually involves a careful discussion with the client to determine what they expect to see and then being clear about what they have. If you ask for a licence that the seller should have and they cannot provide it, then obviously a red flag goes up.

Conditions: These could include the purchaser arranging finance for the purchase by a certain date, being satisfied with the results of the due diligence, having the lease (if there is one) assigned to the purchaser, obtaining consents or licenses needed. Again, this will vary depending on the business so there is no standard wording that can just be pasted in.

Warranties: It is common to include warranties – these are essentially statements by the Seller about the state of the business. For example, a warranty might state that there is no litigation that the company is a party to. Often these will be subject to robust negotiations – for example, the Seller may want this to say “as far as I am aware” (a knowledge qualifier), or refer to a monetary value such as there being no disputes above “x” dollars (a monetary threshold qualifier).

Restraints: It is common to include restraints on the seller of the business – particularly if it were, for example, a catering business or there was potential that they start something new that competes. Restraints need to be reasonable and usually will involve a certain time period such as one year and there will be a geographic area which is specified. Again, this can be a point of rigorous negotiations.

Intellectual property: Goodwill and reputation often make up a big part of the value of the business which is being purchased so it is important to be clear about what that includes – for example, names (are they trademarked?), website, Facebook pages, client lists, patents or other registrations.

Contracts: As part of the due diligence it is important to look at the really key contracts for the business and focus on whether they have change of control provisions and/or the ability to novate or assign to a purchaser. It might be that there will be issues with the purchaser taking on contracts so that is important to find out as quickly as possible.

Tax and accounting: We always advise involving an accountant to assist with these aspects and confirming with them the tax position – for example, that the transfer will be free of GST. Most of the time both entities will be registered for GST and no GST will be charged but it is far better to get this clear from the start than needing to have a last minute panic.

This article is not a substitute for legal advice and you should contact your lawyer about your specific situation. We would be happy to assist in your journey. Please feel free to contact Steven Moe at stevenmoe@parryfield.com or Kris Morrison at krismorrison@parryfield.com should you require assistance.

In the last few months we have been helping several people as they purchase businesses. At the same time there have been other clients who are selling their business. It seems like for both sets of people there are some basic questions that they always have. This article tries to answer and clarify with some answers to some of the common points regarding the usual process involved and what documentation is required. Part 2 then deals with what the agreement for sale and purchase would normally cover. While this is written from the point of view of a Purchaser, it will also raise the same issues that a Seller will need to think through.

So, what are you actually buying?

One of the first things to think about is what you are actually buying. This can be confusing but think about it this way – are you buying the assets of the company, or the company itself? It is very common in New Zealand to simply purchase the assets and the business rather than the company. This is because if you buy the shares of the company then you are stepping into the shoes of that company – which means you get what it owns but you also could get what it owes. So the key here is to be clear about what you actually want and the usual advice would be that purchasing the business and assets is best. Having said that, there may be reasons why purchasing the shares of a company is necessary and you actually want to take on board all that it has – including licenses and registrations – so every situation needs to be thought through.

Due diligence …

It is one thing to see an opportunity and have some chats with the founder of a business about how great it is going. It is quite another to do extensive due diligence and satisfy yourself that everything is as claimed. A good due diligence process will bring to light anything which you need to be aware of as a purchaser. For example, the founder may have told you that they have both great suppliers and customers – is that all verbal agreements or are there robust agreements in place which specify how those relationships are governed? What licenses are in place – or not in place? What disputes are there or litigation or potential claims? What do the accounts reveal? Is the lease about to expire? How about relationships with employees?

What does a due diligence involve?

A good due diligence process will see the Seller provide access to all the key documents of the business so you can thoroughly examine them. This will likely involve advisers such as accountants and lawyers to look through documents. If you are considering selling a business then the counterpoint here is to keep good records. How many times have I been involved in due diligences where the Seller has no records of decisions or no contracts in place? Far too many times – a Purchaser will be scared off if you cannot show clean records and processes. And if you are a start-up, begin keeping good records right from the start, it will make it far easier to get investors or sell out later on.

Other things to think about…

There are many other points which we could cover and some hints are: Which employees will come over? What are the actual assets? Is the price sensible when looking at the accounts? Given the industry is there any potential for large claims or liability? What is the goodwill actually worth? Is there a reason they want to sell now? What future changes might there be in the industry that will affect the business?

Conclusion

We hope this is a helpful overview of some of the things to think about when buying – or selling – a business. In part 2 we will look at what the agreement for sale and purchase should cover. In fact the issues and things that need to be thought through will be the same no matter how many zeros there are on the end of the purchase price. The key thing is to remember that every transaction will be unique and so it is important to take a customised approach to what you ask for in the agreement, whether you are a buyer or seller.

This article is not a substitute for legal advice and you should contact your lawyer about your specific situation. We would be happy to assist in your journey. Please feel free to contact Steven Moe at stevenmoe@parryfield.com or Kris Morrison at krismorrison@parryfield.com should you require assistance.

Implications of the Covid-19 lockdown

In property transactions, each party must sign an Authority and Instruction form allowing their respective lawyers the ability to make changes to a property’s title on their behalf. Physical signatures on these documents must typically be witnessed by a lawyer or Justice of the Peace. However, in response to the Covid-19 situation, interim guidelines issued by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) record that Authority and Instruction forms can be signed by means of an electronic signature — until at least these guidelines are revoked. Alternatively, wet-ink physical signatures will need to be witnessed over a video link.

The Government has also made a temporary law change to modify the requirements of witnessing and signing wills and enduring power of attorneys (EPAs). These changes allow wills and EPAs to be signed and witnessed using audio-visual links (for example Zoom, Facetime and Skype etc). For further guidance on how these documents can be witnessed and signed, it is explained here for wills and explained here for EPAs.

In terms of statutory declarations and affidavits, it appears that these may be administered electronically — however, physical signatures would still be required. As above, signatures in these cases need to be witnessed over a reliable video link .

It is still understood that powers of attorney and enduring powers of attorney (and presumably Wills and the like) cannot be signed electronically.

If anything is not clear here then we would be happy to discuss with you — as usual individual circumstances usually mean that the context is important to consider.

This article is not a substitute for legal advice and you should contact your lawyer about your specific situation. Please feel free to contact Steven Moe at stevenmoe@parryfield.com should you require assistance.

The law recognises that in certain events which are beyond the control of a party that it is not fair for that party to have to continue to comply with the contract. In light of COVID-19 it is prudent to consider if the pandemic might be a trigger for this in your contracts.

The first step is to check what the contract actually says. It won’t apply if there is no such provision in the contract. Normally it will be called a “Force Majeure” clause. The courts will generally have a high standard if a party wants to rely on this as a grounds to not fulfill the contract. The sort of factors which will be relevant are:

How are the events described? Is it generic or specific? In this particular case it will be relevant to see if there is any reference to “disease” or better, epidemics? If there is a reference to an “Act of God” then that might arguably cover this too. The most important thing is to check the specific words.
Even if there is an event, does that mean that the performance cannot be done? Just because something costs more doesn’t make it impossible – it may be that you still have to comply. Again, the context is key.
A party needs to be in control – one of the things I have seen is some arguments that a “strike” should be a force majeure event – if it is listed then it may be, but typically the management can control a strike occurring, or not. So, it might not qualify as a force majeure event. When it comes to COVID-19 again it may be that a party has no control.
The last factor relates to mitigation. A party should take steps to ensure that the contract is complied with (ie they are mitigating and stopping the impact, if they can).The key point here is perhaps that the wording of the contract needs to be reviewed. If there is no such clause then it might be possible for the doctrine of frustration to apply – this is where an event makes performance impossible compared to what had been agreed. Again, context is key.The other thing to look for in contracts would be a “material adverse change” clause – these can apply where an event occurs that means the contract is affected. You should also review any termination clauses just to see what they provide for eg 30 days written notice?Start by reviewing your contracts and consider your current situation and what the next few weeks and months will hold. If you would like to discuss your contract and situation then we would be happy to do so.

This article is not a substitute for legal advice and you should consult your lawyer about your specific situation. For any questions, feel free to contact Steven Moe stevenmoe@parryfield.com or Kris Morrison krismorrison@parryfield.com at Parry Field Lawyers.

As we are in the midst of an uncertain time there are lots of different questions and things to consider. For business owners, how can COVID-19 impact your commercial leases?

If you have such a lease, the impact of COVID-19 depends what it says – so it is worth checking your agreement with the Landlord. If you have a recent ADLS version Deed of Lease (which is industry standard) then there is a definition of “Emergency” which includes an epidemic. Clause 27.5 then has provision about access to the property in an emergency that refers to “a fair proportion of the rent and outgoings shall cease to be payable…” in some circumstances where you are unable to access the premises as a consequence of the emergency. Use that clause as the basis to talk with your Landlord in the coming weeks.

As a side note, if you only ever signed an Agreement to Lease, don’t panic that it doesn’t have that clause, as the Deed of Lease provisions are deemed to be incorporated into the Agreement to Lease as well (if it is an ADLS form) – see clause 4 of the ADLS Agreement to Lease form.

At this time we want to support businesses who have questions about what they should do next and we will be posting comments on issues we see arising from time to time.

This article is not a substitute for legal advice and you should talk to a lawyer about your specific situation. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Steven Moe – stevenmoe@parryfield.com, Kris Morrison – krismorrison@parryfield.com or Paul Owens – paulowens@parryfield.com at Parry Field Lawyers.

If you’ve ever wondered what the Personal Property Securities Register (“PPSR”) is, and what the benefits of registering security interests are, this article sets out the basics that you should know.

What is it?

The PPSR, which was established as a result of the Personal Properties Security Act 1999, is a New Zealand government website that registers information about security interests over personal property (other than land). This information can be recorded, altered and searched through the PPSR website.

Why do I need to know about it?

It is particularly important to be aware of the PPSR if you are giving a loan and want to be able to recover the debt if the debtor ever defaults. Utilising the PPSR and registering a security interest will give you a far better chance of recovering that debt.

You can also search the PPSR when you are purchasing a car to check if any security interests have been registered against, it to avoid any nasty surprises!

Example:

Jane, who owns Apple Construction Ltd., is selling a piece of equipment worth $5,000.00 with payment due in monthly instalments over a 2 year period. 6 months in to the 2 year period, the purchaser stops making payments altogether, and Jane wishes to recover the debts by repossessing the equipment.

Because Jane had not registered a financing statement on the PPSR, she is an unsecured creditor. This means that if there are secured creditors also seeking to recover debt, they will be given a higher priority over Jane. If Jane had registered a financing statement, she would be given a higher priority and would therefore be more likely to be able to recover the debt.

How do I register a security interest?

To register a security interest you will need to sign up as a user on the PPSR website – full instructions on registering an account are available on the website. You will then need to register the Secured Party Group.
Once you have registered as a user and have set up the Secured Party Group, you will be able to register a financing statement which records the security interest. To do this, you will need to supply: an expiry date, the debtor’s details, collateral details and the Secured Party Group details.

Your contract with the customer needs to have a clause allowing the security interest to be registered. We can help with that and provide other input on contracts to keep you safe.

For further information:

If you have any questions in relation to PPSR, registering or searching for security interests, please feel free to get in touch with Steven Moe at stevenmoe@parryfield.com or on 03 348 8480. We have teams in Riccarton, Rolleston and Hokitika who would be happy to assist you.

So, what are you actually buying?

Due diligence …

What does a due diligence involve?

Other things to think about…

Conclusion

What is it?

Why do I need to know about it?

Example:

How do I register a security interest?

Christchurch CBD

Christchurch

Rolleston

Hokitika