Lacking mental capacity to make a Will – you may get Court!

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Arguably one of the most controversial and challenging of the formal legal requirements of a valid Will is whether or not the person making the Will has sufficient testamentary capacity at such time that they make their Will.  A Will is not valid unless the person making it has testamentary capacity. That is, they must:

(a) understand the nature of the act and its effects;

(b) understand the extent of the property of which he or she is disposing; and

(c) be able to comprehend and appreciate the claims on his or her Estate to which he or she ought to give effect.

However, what happens if a person has no Will and no longer has the required testamentary capacity?

One option of course is that no steps are taken. In this case, when that person dies his or her Estate will be distributed in accordance with a prescribed formula set out in the Administration Act (“an Intestacy”). But, what if dividing this person’s Estate or an Intestacy does not adequately provide for certain family members or non-family persons or organisations?  Further, what if the person already has a Will in place but their personal and/or financial circumstances have significantly changed since the time when the earlier Will was made and it is now no longer relevant or appropriate?

This issue arises more and more frequently as our population ages, people’s financial circumstances become more complex, and the family unit continues to disappear.

In this situation, consideration can be given to whether an application should be made to the Court for what is called a Statutory Will.  This is a Will which is made by the Court for the person concerned.   This option first became available in Western Australia in 2008.

Upon such an application being made by any person, the Court, pursuant to section 40(1) of the Wills Act 1970 (WA) has the power to make, alter, or revoke a Will of a person who lacks testamentary capacity provided that the person concerned:

(a) lacks testamentary capacity;

(b) is alive; and

(c) is over 18 years of age.

The power for the Court to make a Statutory Will enables the Court to ensure that there is a valid Will in place which:

  1.  Gives effect to the previously stated or more obvious wishes of a person lacking testamentary capacity;
  2.  Avoids a full or partial intestacy;
  3.  Avoids a future dispute as to the adequacy of provision or interpretation of an existing testamentary document;
  4.  May allow for appropriate structuring to be put in place, such as testamentary trusts, which can have significant benefits for beneficiaries of the Estate; and
  5.  Deals with changes in circumstances that may have occurred since a last Will was made by the Will maker.

However, in the last 10 years there is only one reported case in Western Australia which has addressed this matter.  In that instance the Court declined to make the Will as sought. The lack of applications to the Court for a Statutory Will may reflect a lack of familiarity with such applications, or that the cost and complexity of these Applications can be prohibitive in many instances. Nevertheless, Statutory Wills can be a useful estate planning tool that should, at the very least, be considered in the appropriate circumstances.

Please contact Alana Stallard at astallard@bbvlegal.com.au if you wish to discuss this matter or your estate planning objectives further.

PLEASE CONTACT

Contact Alana Stallard at astallard@bbvlegal.com.au if you wish to discuss this matter or your estate planning objectives further.

State Taxes On Property Transactions

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For Loved Up Couples And Those That Are Not So Loved Up!

State tax on real estate transfers used to be called stamp duty- as the documents would be stamped.

Since 2008 state land transfer tax is called Duty under the Duties Act (WA).

What happens where an interest in property is transferred during a marriage or de-facto relationship by one of the parties to the marriage to the other party?

However, duty concessions can support happy families.  When, sadly, the relationship has ended and the couple is splitting up, duty relief may also be available.

PART 1: When the couple are settled and happy in their relationship

Duty that would otherwise be charged on land transactions where a couple has established a home together, is exempted by Section 97 of the Duties Act 2008 (WA).

For couples who are living together in a home that belongs to one of them, there is a saving if, after two years during which they live together in the home, the owner of the home wants to transfer half their interest to the other person, in that normal transfer duty is waived.

This law applies to all couples in de facto relationships.

The definition of a de facto relationship is Section 9 of the Duties Act that states that a de facto partner of 2 years means “a person who is living in a de facto relationship with the person and has lived on that basis with the person for at least 2 years”.

In the formal language of the Act:

Duty is not chargeable on a transfer or an agreement for the transfer of property that would otherwise ordinarily be subject to stamp duty where the person who is transferring the property is married to the one they are transferring the property to or are de facto partners of two years and the dutiable property (Section 97 (b) ) is a lot on which a residence is erected which, when the liability for duty on the transaction arises, was used solely or dominantly as the ordinary place of residence of the persons referred to in paragraph (a) (the married couple or de facto couple).

The waiver of duty otherwise normally payable, is only available if the person transferring the property is the sole owner of the property and where the result of the transaction will be that the dutiable property is owned by the parties as joint tenants or tenants in common in equal shares.

Instead of the usual duty the nominal amount only is paid, presently $20.  There will still be lodgement fees payable at Landgate and other expenses such are production fees if there is a mortgage.

So if the home is owned by George and Mary, (ie George’s ex partner) the stamp duty exemption doesn’t apply if Mary’s interest is going to Shane, George’s new partner, because George doesn’t own it outright, only half.

But if George is the sole owner of the property (perhaps after Mary has transferred it to him after their relationship breakdown, see below) then he can transfer half the property to Shane without there being the usual rate of stamp duty payable.

Section 133 sets out what evidence can be produced to establish that a couple is married or living in a de facto relationship.  It provides that a statutory declaration can relied upon to prove the relationship.

PART 2: When all is not good in paradise: a marriage like relationship ends

When a couple separates and they want to transfer property they own together between them, provided they obtain court orders or enter into a formal agreement arising from their relationship breakdown, under the relevant family law legislation, Section 129 of the Duties Act provides an exemption from duty that would otherwise be payable.

If George and Mary owned their home jointly, either of them can buy the other out and not have to pay stamp duty on the transaction.

To be entitled to the exemption the agreement reached about transferring the property needs to be part of the couples’ matrimonial settlement.  In a settlement all the assets and liabilities a couple has needs to be taken into account and considered.

Section 113 provides that duty is not chargeable on a dutiable transaction to the extent that it is affected by a matrimonial instrument mentioned in Section 129 (b) or (c) or a de facto relationship instrument mentioned in Section 130 (a).

Section 129 provides that a reference to a matrimonial instrument is to any of the following instruments to the extent that it does with matrimonial property:

(a)  A maintenance agreement registered under the Family Law Act……

(b)  A financial agreement made under the Family Law Act..

(c)  A splitting agreement;

(d) An order of the Court under the Family Law.

Section 130 relates to de facto relationship instruments and refers to the Family Court Act Section 205T or an order of the Court made under that Act or the law of the Commonwealth or another State that substantially corresponds with Family Court Act Part 5A.

Section 131 provides that transactions effected by or in accordance with matrimonial instrument or de facto relationship instruments are subject to nominal duty if the parties are separated or divorced from one another and the property is to be transferred to (Section 131 No. 1 (d) )

(i)         either or both of parties to the marriage;  or

(ii)        a child or children of either of the parties to the marriage; or

(iii)       a trustee of such a child or children; or

(v)        the trustee of a superannuation fund.

The similar provision applies for de factos except that a superannuation fund is not referred to, there being no provision in Western Australia for superannuation splitting in favour of de factos.

What Does This Mean For Me?

A couple still in their relationship can take advantage of exemptions to transfer their home from one owner’s name into their joint names.  They can obtain that relief with the assistance of a settlement agent or lawyer to prepare the land transfer and assist with preparation of the statutory declaration required to be produced to the State Revenue Office.

A couple separating and wanting to take advantage of the stamp duty concessions will require legal assistance to obtain the court orders or formal agreement required to be produced to the State Revenue office to obtain an exemption on a transfer of property between them.

The individuals in a separating couple should be separately advised about their entitlements.  Advice obtained that enables access to duty relief may be cost effective in that the costs of preparation of the court documents and or agreement can be partly at least defrayed by the duty savings obtained on the property transfer.

Some Super Changes

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Here we go again….!

Several significant changes to the superannuation rules became effective from 1 July 2017.Do you really need to know about them?  Yes, you do!

Not only will the changes impact on your plans for your superannuation and retirement, but they will very likely also impact on your estate planning objectives and arrangements.

Ok, So What Has Changed?

In summary, the new rules after 30 June 2017 in relation to pensions include the following:

1. A person cannot start a pension with an account balance supporting a pension of over $1.6m (or continue such a pension after 30 June 2017).

2. This limit is called a person’s “transfer balance cap”.

3. When a person starts a pension after 30 June 2017, they will have a “transfer balance account”. This will track key events in relation to the person’s pension, to see if the person exceeds their transfer balance cap (either on starting the pension or at a date on starting an additional pension).

4. If someone exceeds their transfer balance cap, they will need to take action to rectify the problem (that is, by commuting part of their pension).

5. If the person does not take action, the Commissioner of Taxation can force the fund to rectify the problem (by issuing a “commutation authority”).

6. The rectification action that can be taken will involve commuting some or all of the pension to a lump sum.

7. Except in relation to pensions resulting from the death of a member, such a commutation can generally be retained in the superannuation system.

What Does This Mean For Me?

What this means in practical terms is that where the death benefit exceeds the recipient’s transfer balance cap (currently set at $1.6 m), then any excess must be cashed out as a lump sum. This will impact in particular on those wishing to keep benefits in superannuation by reverting or paying a pension to their dependants upon their death.

How Will This Affect My Estate Planning Decisions?

There are a number of ways in which these changes may impact on estate planning decisions. For example:

1. It will be necessary to review and possibly update death benefit nominations and Wills;

2. It may be necessary to review and update Self Managed Superannuation Fund Deeds to bring them up to date with the new legislation and to allow estate planning objectives to be achieved. For example, often older Deeds do not allow for non lapsing Binding Death Benefit Nominations;

3. Where members of a superannuation fund have balances exceeding the transfer balance cap, they may need to consider setting up a  Self Managed Superannuation Fund for their pension interest and retaining their remaining accumulation interest in their existing fund. However, care will need to be taken as this could trigger tax issues and accordingly appropriate tax advice should be sought to determine the tax implications of each strategy. A good estate planning strategy can sometimes be a disaster from a tax planning perspective; and

4. Where a death benefit is required to be paid as a lump sum this may force the sale of non-liquid assets where there are insufficient liquid assets to satisfy the lump sum. In such a situation a strategy needs to be developed to prevent this occurring.

These are examples of some of the impacts the new superannuation rules will have on estate planning strategies, but in individual circumstances there are likely to be other impacts as well.

Conclusion

Estate planning is not a set-and-forget process. Rather it is an ongoing evolving process, which must necessarily respond to changes in individual personal, financial and other circumstances, as well as to changes in the law.

The changes to the superannuation rules will have far reaching effects for those who hold, or who anticipate holding, significant funds in superannuation. Therefore, for those who are, or might soon be, affected by these changes it becomes critically important to respond and carefully review your estate planning arrangements and strategies. This review may necessarily extend to reviewing business structures and business succession arrangements.

Those who choose to ignore the new superannuation rules and/or who choose not to regularly review their estate planning and business succession arrangements do so at their own peril. They also do so at the peril of their families and loved ones with potentially significant detrimental financial consequences.

PLEASE CONTACT

For more information or to discuss any particular concerns contact Les Buchbinder at lbuchbinder@bbvlegal.com.au.

The Sham Of It All!

legal-document

Surely I can save money by terminating the employment of a worker and then re-engage them as an independent contractor?

Not so fast….

Recently the Federal Court of Australia imposed a significant financial penalty against a company after that company was found to have breached the sham contracting provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (“the Act”).

Section 357 of the Act protects genuine employees from “sham” arrangements in which they are portrayed as being independent contractors whereas in reality they are genuine employees.

Genuine employees are entitled to a range of rights and benefits (including sick leave, holiday pay and superannuation) whereas independent contractors do not enjoy these same benefits.

A sham self-employment contract arises in circumstances where a person is engaged to undertake certain work and/or provide certain services ostensibly as an independent contractor when the true situation is that they are not actually an independent contractor at all but an employee.

Cases where employers have misrepresented employees as being independent contractors have become more prevalent primarily because there is a financial benefit in doing so.   It is often less expensive to engage an independent contractor than to engage the services of an employee and, further, very often there are not the same risks associated with terminating an independent contract as there are in terminating the services of an employee.

On 2 December 2015 the High Court of Australia handed down its decision in the matter of Fair Work Ombudsman v Quest South Perth Holdings Pty Ltd (2015) HCA 45, which was a case in which in 2009 Quest South Perth Holdings Pty Ltd, through the services of an independent  staffing agency, terminated the employment of two housekeepers and then immediately re-hired them but allegedly as independent contractors to perform the same duties.  The Fair Work Ombudsman commence legal proceedings against Quest South Perth Holdings Pty Ltd alleging that this arrangement was in breach of the sham contracting laws set out in Section 357 of the Act.

Initially the proceeding commenced by the Fair Work Ombudsman in the Federal Court of Australia was unsuccessful. However, in a subsequent Appeal to the High Court of Australia, the Court held that Quest South Perth Holdings Pty Ltd had breached the sham contracting provisions of the Act by misrepresenting an employment relationship with the the two housekeepers as that of independent contracting. The High Court of Australia said that the two housekeepers continued to perform precisely the same work for Quest South Perth Holdings Pty Ltd in precisely the same manner as they had always done. The Court said that in law, the two housekeepers had never become independent contractors.

The Federal Court of Australia when it initially rejected the argument of the Fair Work Ombudsman found that the sham contracting provisions of the Act had not been breached because the arrangements had been made through the services of a third party (an independent labour hire firm) and not directly between Quest South Perth Holdings Pty Ltd and the two housekeepers. However this finding was rejected by the High Court of Australia and the fact that the arrangement was conducted through the services of the labour hire firm did not mean that the sham contracting provisions of the Act had been circumvented and not breached. Indeed the High Court of Australia went on to say that the misrepresentation by Quest South Perth Holdings Pty Ltd was exactly the type of activity which was intended to be caught by Section 357 of the Act.

The High Court of Australia referred the matter back to the Federal Court of Australia for it to impose appropriate penalties.  The Federal Court of Australia has recently dealt with the issue of penalty and imposed  a fine of  $59,000 against the company for breaching the sham contracting provisions of the Act.

This case highlights the difficulties faced by those who engage the services of workers and those workers themselves in determining whether a particular relationship is one of employer and employee or, alternatively, one of principal and contractor. This distinction can have significant financial and other consequences for all involved.  The Courts have developed a series of key indicators to assist in determining whether a particular relationship is one of employer and employee or, alternatively, one of principal and contractor.   None of these indicators is alone determined in a true and ultimately it is for the Court to decide based on all of the evidence before it.

Perhaps the more significant feature of this decision is that it highlights that the sham contracting provisions of the Actcannot be avoided by utilising a labour hire firm through which to engage the worker.

In order to minimise the risk of being caught in a sham contracting situation, employers should:

  1. ensure that the relationship with their workers is what they have assumed them to be.   If in doubt, they should seek competent legal advice;
  2. ensure that they do not misrepresent the nature of relationship to workers otherwise they will face prosecution and potentially significant penalties, for breaching the Act;
  3.  if engaging workers through a third party such as a labour hire firm, continually examine the relationship and implement risk management strategies.   If an employment relationship is later found to exist instead of one of contractor, the employer can be liable for significant back payment of entitlements in addition to any penalties that may be imposed for breaching the Act.

PLEASE CONTACT

Contact Les Buchbinder at lbuchbinder@bbvlegal.com.au if you wish to discuss this matter or your estate planning objectives further.

The Cost of Separation – Certainty of Mind and Certainty of Legal Fees

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Along with the disruption and uncertainty surrounding a marriage breakdown separating couples have to also consider whether or not they need to engage a lawyer.

Although there are many services available for couples, in particular through the Family Relationship Centre system, in most cases it becomes very obvious that both parties need to have some legal advice.

The Process of Separation
There is always one party who knows they are going to be leaving the relationship before the other. That often causes great distress when a party realises that the other one has ceased contributing to their relationship and is out the door, or wants you to leave.

The law does not give any pathway for separation. Parties enter a relationship voluntarily and entirely without any government intervention. It is entirely their personal decision.

It is always advisable for legal advice to be obtained before the physical separation, particularly if there are children involved.

While separation is a personal decision, it may have immediate legal consequences. So the first service that lawyers can offer a person when they separate is to give them initial advice.

Mediation
Mediation can be held before Court proceedings commence. If a mediation is successful, in that the parties come to an agreement about the matters in dispute, a couple can avoid Court altogether. The couples must however prepare and lodge a Form 11 Application for Consent Orders with the Court.

Mediation can also take place during Court proceedings as part of the Court’s programming of cases to ensure that, before a case is programmed towards a trial, the parties have had the opportunity of considering an agreement.

Issuing Court Proceedings
If the mediation processes have failed or there is something urgent that needs to be attended to, Court documents will be required to set out properly what your case is about with the kind of information that the Court requires (that will not necessarily be what you would like to talk to the Court about).

Court documents have been prepared to make it possible for people to fill in the forms themselves without legal support. However, most people find the forms daunting and unfamiliar.

There is no substitute for having a competent family lawyer assist with the preparation of your Court documents. That process will also identify the orders you want the Court to make and will enable you to be advised and tutored about what to expect in your Court case and how you can assist in your case.

Once The Court Documents Have Been Lodged, What Happens Next?
Once Court documents have been filed in the Court, parties face considerable delays before their case finally comes to trial. Many cases, especially those involving children, require assistance from the Court in the early stages of the proceedings in settling urgent interim issues.

Once parties have obtained some interim orders and assistance from the Court often a case does not have to progress past that point and in many instances mediation at this stage will be successful.

Where financial matters are involved parties have to take steps to establish valuation of assets and to consider what the issues in their case are that may require accounting and legal assistance.

Readiness Hearing and Trial
A readiness hearing is a date the Court allocates by which time parties need to have prepared their trial documents, issued all necessary subpoenas, and generally be ready for a trial. A great deal of work needs to be done at this time and a Fixed Fee can be offered for this stage of the proceedings and for the trial.

The majority of cases filed in the Family Court end by agreement before a trial actually commences.

Costs of Getting Legal Advice
Many lawyers provide Family Law services on a time cost basis, meaning that when you engage them, they will work for you from the beginning of your matter until the end, sending usually monthly accounts, charging you for every 6 minutes of time spent on your matter. This includes every email, telephone call, letter and meetings. Lawyers are obliged to advise clients you at regular points in the service period what is the estimate of the legal costs of the service will be. However, this is not a quote and does not bind the lawyer if the services turn out to cost more than the estimate given by the Lawyer.

At Bowen Buchbinder Vilensky we provide Fixed Price services. This involves an assessment of what work is required at various stages of your matter and providing a fixed fee for that service. The fixed fee is agreed to in advance before any work commences which provides certainty and peace of mind.

 

PLEASE CONTACT

Contact Rhonda Griffiths at rgriffiths@bbvlegal.com.au if you wish to discuss this matter or your estate planning objectives further.

Owning Properties in Different Countries – Heirs and Places

property settlements

In today’s globalised world, an increasing number of people own real estate in more than one country at any one time.

As a result, there has been an increase in the number of people who have both an Australian Will and a Will in a foreign country to dispose of real estate owned by them. The intention (subject to the manner in which the Wills are drafted) is usually for the foreign Will to dispose of real estate in that foreign country and for the Australian Will to dispose of all other assets of that person.

However, if you first make an Australian Will that only deals with your assets in Australia, and later make a second foreign Will that states that it revokes all previous Wills and deals solely with your real estate in that other country, what is the status of your Australian Will? Has your Australian Will been revoked by the later foreign Will?

This interesting predicament has been considered by the Australian Courts, which have set out principles to reduce the uncertainty that this creates and have determined that the question of whether a later Will revokes an earlier Will ultimately depends on the intention of the Will-maker: did he or she intend to revoke the earlier Will?

In Australia, in so far as real estate is concerned, such issues are generally referred to the law of the place where that real estate is situated (the legal principle of ‘lex situs’).

It has also been recognised since the 19th century that a general revocation clause in a Will (e.g., ‘I hereby revoke all Wills heretofore made by me and declare this to be my last Will’) is not sufficient of itself to revoke a prior Will if the Court is satisfied that the Will-maker did not intend by the later Will to revoke the earlier Will.

In determining the intention of the Will-maker, the Courts will look at a variety of factors, including:

  • whether the Australian Will deals only with your Australian estate;
  • whether the foreign Will deals only with your real estate in the foreign country;
  • whether the later Will is sufficient by its terms to cause a revocation of the earlier Will (which is a question of interpretation of the foreign Will by the Courts);
  • whether the foreign Will was ever intended to affect the Australian Will (which is to be determined as a matter of evidence according to Australian probate law);
  • whether the foreign Will was made in the language of that country and not in English; and
  • the terms of both Wills and the circumstances of their execution and signing.

The practical significance of this is that, if you own assets in Australia and also own foreign real estate, it is imperative that you obtain competent estate planning advice so as to avoid the risk that, at a later time, either your Australian or your foreign Will is deemed to have been revoked, when your intention and estate planning objectives may be clearly otherwise.

PLEASE CONTACT

Contact us at bbv@bbvlegal.com.au if you wish to discuss this matter or your estate planning objectives further.

What’s to Know About a Commercial Lease?

commercial-law-cases

When first entering into a lease of commercial premises the task may seem daunting as well as confusing.

A lease is a legally binding contract (carrying significant legal consequences if its terms are breached) which creates certain rights and obligations between a landlord and a tenant in respect of a particular property. A commercial lease is used where the main use of the property is for business purposes.

It is critically important for prospective tenants to be aware of, and to fully understand, all of the important terms and conditions of the proposed lease. Entering into a lease without doing so can lead to significant and potentially fatal financial consequences.

Most, if not all, commercial leases contain several key terms which must be well understood before any prospective tenant finally commits to entering into the lease. These include:

Rent
What is the rent that you will be expected to pay? When will it fall due and payable (i.e. each month or each fortnight)?

Generally rent is calculated based on the area (per square metre) of the premises being leased. Sometimes reaching agreement as to the area that is being leased and for which rent is payable is not a straight forward exercise.

Rent Increase
Equally as important as ascertaining what is the actual rent payable, is understanding when rent increases are due and how they are to be calculated. Rent usually increases annually during the term of the lease determined either by a fixed percentage, market-value or possibly with respect to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In the event that the lease provides for a market value review (as opposed to fixed increases) a market value review is required to take place at the expiry of the initial term and at expiry of any option to renew the lease.

Security/Bank Guarantees
In some instances, a landlord may ask for some form of security from the tenant or proposed tenant in order to cover a situation where the tenant fails one of the key obligations under the lease, such as failing to pay the rent. Sometimes the security required is a payment equal to 3 or 6 months’ rent and in some instances this is sought to be further guaranteed by some form of a bank guarantee. If such a security is sought in the lease, then the lease should also set out clearly the terms as to when the security payment will be returned back to the tenant. Similarly, if the tenant is a company then it is common for a landlord to require one or more of the company directors to provide a personal guarantee that the company will meet all of its obligations under the lease, including the obligation to pay rent.

Term (Duration)
Another key term of the lease is the duration of the lease itself. The lease document should set out clearly the length of the lease as well as any further options to renew the lease and any particular terms or preconditions that may be required relating to the renewal of the lease. Where a lease provides for one or more options for the tenant to renew the lease, it is essential that the tenant be aware of both when each option must be exercised and how it must be exercised (i.e. what form of written notice is required to validly exercise that option to renew the lease). Failing to exercise each option by the prescribed date and/or in the prescribed manner will (unless otherwise agreed) result in the lease ending and either no further lease being offered to the tenant or a new lease being offered but potentially on less favourable terms. This, of course, can be financially disastrous to a small business.

PLEASE CONTACT

Contact Les Buchbinder at lbuchbinder@bbvlegal.com.au if you wish to discuss this matter or your estate planning objectives further.

The Importance of a Sole Director Having a Will

court

Companies that have a person registered as both the sole director and sole shareholder could be taking a big risk if the director dies without leaving a Will.

The company could have difficulty continuing to operate or it could be wound up.

Under the Corporations Act, if a single director of a company dies, the executor or personal representative appointed to administer the deceased’s estate may appoint a new director to the company having obtained a grant of Probate from the Supreme Court. The transitional director has all the powers, rights and duties of the deceased director and can keep the company functioning until shares are transferred to beneficiaries who may then appoint new directors. But if there is no valid will, a relative or other person would have to apply to the Supreme Court for letters of administration to manage the estate. This generally takes longer than an application for a grant of Probate.

While an option would be for the Public Trustee to be appointed to administer the estate, this procedure could take several months. A trading company in this situation would be unable to proceed with financial arrangements, might lose valuable work or incur penalties because it is unable to complete contracts.

It is therefore vitally important that a sole director who is also the sole shareholder of a company makes a valid Will. The Will can even nominate who the testator wishes his or her executor to appoint as a replacement director.

PLEASE CONTACT

Contact David Vilensky at dvilensky@bbvlegal.com.au if you wish to discuss this matter or your estate planning objectives further.

Leasing Incentives – the Disincentive is in the Detail!

court gavel and calendar

A recent survey by  Property Council of Australia found that the Perth office vacancy rate rose from 19.6 percent to 21.8 percent in the six months leading up to July.  This high vacancy rate has resulted in an increase in lease incentives being offered by landlords to prospective new tenants and to existing tenants whose leases are due to expire.

In a significant turn around to the recent past, the commercial rental market today is very tenant friendly and we are seeing (among other things) a resulting drop in effective rents.

Incentives

A lease is a legally binding contract which sets out the respective rights and obligations to both the landlord and the tenant in respect of the use by that tenant of a property owned by the landlord. The terms of a lease are negotiated between the landlord and the prospective new tenant and there are sound reasons why leasing incentives are offered.

Landlord’s reasons to offer incentives

 

  • Landlords can choose between their premises becoming or remaining vacant or accepting a lower rent or offering other incentives
  • Landlords can achieve a rent that provides some or all of the cash flow to pay for ongoing holding and operating costs (and possibly pay off development costs)
  • Landlords can encourage tenants to take up longer lease terms (the longer the term, the higher the incentive)

 

Tenant’s reasons to accept incentives

 

  • Tenants will seek to maximise the benefits that can be obtained when entering into a lease;
  • Tenants may have the choice as to whether to pay a higher rent and receive an incentive or pay a lower rent and receive no incentive
  • Landlords may offer an incentive to fund some or all of the fit-out costs or (in some other way) free up the tenant’s finances to enable the tenant to meet those fit-out costs.

 

Lease incentives can take one, or a combination, of the following forms:

 

  • Rent free period or reduced rent period;
  • A cash payment to the tenants or other in kind payments;
  • A free office or other fit-out, whether paid directly by the landlord or by way of reimbursement to the tenant for fit out expenses; and
  • The landlord assuming the tenant’s liabilities under an existing lease (i.e. lease legacy or lease tail).

 

So, What’s the Disincentive?

Negotiating the terms of a lease and any incentives to be offered or gained is often an extensive and robust process. At the conclusion of this process it is vitally important that both parties have a very clear common understanding as to the agreed key terms of the lease  and  exactly what incentives have been agreed to by the parties. Failure to achieve this will almost certainly result in misunderstandings, disputes and ultimately expensive protracted litigation.

Settling the wording of a lease is also a critical step in the process of securing a viable long-term tenancy for any property. This includes ensuring that all agreed incentives offered by the landlord are carefully and accurately recorded in the lease document. This is as much for the protection of the landlord as well as the tenant.

In addition, careful consideration must also be given to what other implications of the agreed incentives may exist.  For example:

 

  • Are there any tax implications?
  • Are there any government approvals that must be first obtained?
  • Has an agreement been reached as to what is to happen to any of the assets from which the tenant has benefited and for which the landlord has paid once the lease comes to an end?

 

Sometimes, where a tenant accepts certain incentives offered or agreed to by the landlord, the effective rent payable by the tenant is significantly reduced  and the Landlord may wish to keep this information confidential in order to preserve other tenancy arrangements with other tenants and/or to preserve the value of a building’s capital value. Such a confidentiality requirement can be recorded in the lease itself or, alternatively, as a separate Deed.

Whilst there are many incentives on offer to prospective tenants which are very attractive, it is essential that prospective tenants fully explore and understand the incentive being offered, whether it is a real benefit to the tenant’s business and what are all of the implications and obligations in accepting such an incentive. It is also essential to both the landlord and the tenant that the incentive agreement be fully and properly recorded in writing as part of the lease so that both parties have a clear understanding of the nature and full extent of the agreed incentives.

It is strongly recommend that all lease agreements be carefully reviewed by a lawyer before being signed by either the landlord or the tenant to ensure that it appropriately records all of the required terms and conditions including any incentives that may have been agreed to by the parties during the negotiation process.

PLEASE CONTACT

Contact Les Buchbinder at lbuchbinder@bbvlegal.com.au if you wish to discuss this matter or your estate planning objectives further.

Choose Now Whilst You Can! – Your Future Decision Makers

duties of company director

Most of us are aware that a Will is a document that captures our wishes for the disposition of our assets (amongst other matters) once we die. It is not common knowledge, however, that there are also documents that one can execute in order to preserve our wishes for when we are still alive.

These documents are called an Enduring Power of Attorney, Enduring Power of Guardianship and Advanced Health Directive (sometimes called a Living Will).

For anyone who is addressing their estate planning objectives (and that should be all of us) it is important to consider the protection of your person and estate during your lifetime, as well as considering what happens to your assets once you die. To only execute a Will, and not consider what measures you take to protect the estate during your lifetime, is only addressing part of your estate plan.

Enduring Power of Attorney

An Enduring Power of Attorney allows you to appoint a person that you trust implicitly (usually a spouse or a child) to have authority to deal with your financial affairs.

This means that your ‘attorney’ (the person you appoint) has the authority to deal with your assets as if they were standing in your shoes. Your attorney may access your bank accounts, investments and (if you lodge the document with Landgate) deal with your real estate, if you ever lost the capacity to do so yourself.

Although this may not seem rational in reality, provided that your attorney is a reliable person to be given such a power, it is an important document that may assist you in times of emergency. If you were ever in a position where you could not make decisions for yourself, and you have outstanding financial obligations that need to be addressed, your attorney may step in and address those requirements on your behalf.

An Enduring Power of Attorney will provide you peace of mind in knowing that in a time of crisis, your financial obligations are being attended to by someone you trust and in whom we you have confidence.

Enduring Power of Guardianship

This document is similar to an Enduring Power of Attorney, however it relates to health and lifestyle decisions only. When you have capacity, you are able to make decisions relating to your own health and treatment and lifestyle decisions. For example, where you live, what medical treatment you undertake or what entertainment you will enjoy, etc.

Should you become incapacitated, you will have selected the person whom you trust to make these decisions on your behalf.

Although you may think that this document is unnecessary and when the time comes your family will be able to make those decisions for you, it is important to remember that decisions of these nature are particularly personal and you must consider reasonably whether it would be prudent to appoint particular people to preserve your wishes regarding your health and lifestyle.

Advance Health Directive

An Advance Health Directive is a document in which you set out, in advance, what treatment decisions you choose in certain circumstances where you cannot communicate those decisions at the time. The types of treatment decisions set out in these documents relate to the situation where you may be on life support or in a vegetative state. You may set out that you consent to, or do not consent to, treatments such as resuscitation, artificial feeding, blood transfusion, and similar treatments.

Your treatment decisions in your Advanced Health Directive must be followed by a medical practitioner and you therefore control the way you are treated in the event that you require life sustaining measures to be kept alive.

PLEASE CONTACT

Contact us at bbv@bbvlegal.com.au if you wish to discuss this matter further.