Insights
Short, practical articles on property, leasing, wills and trade marks in Victoria.
Ownership Structures for Prestige Property: Name, Trust, Company or SMSF
The name on the title of a prestige purchase drives duty, land tax, asset protection and what happens when the property passes to the…
Cooling Off and Finance Clauses: The Conditions That Protect First Home Buyers
Cooling off and a subject to finance clause are the two safety nets in a Victorian contract of sale. Both are narrower than most…
Fit-Out and Make Good in Medical and Dental Premises
Fit-out contributions, specialist plant and make good obligations are where medical and dental leases quietly become expensive. Here is what to settle before you…
The Annual Cost of Holding Property in Victoria: Land Tax, Vacancy and Surcharges
Aggregated land tax, the trust surcharge, statewide vacant residential land tax, the absentee owner surcharge and windfall gains tax \u2014 what a second property…
Sharing Rooms in a Medical Practice: Subleases, Licences and Landlord Consent
Head lease restrictions, sublease versus licence versus service agreement, what the document must cover, and the approvals that do not transfer when you share…
Reading a Section 32 Properly: Red Flags for First Home Buyers
Title encumbrances, undisclosed building work, owners corporation certificates, cladding, section 173 agreements and what the vendor\u2019s statement deliberately does not tell you.
Covenants, Overlays and Development Potential: Reading a Melbourne Title Properly
Single dwelling covenants, section 173 agreements, heritage overlays, zoning schedules and garden area rules: what decides whether a property can actually be developed, and…
Buying Your Practice Premises: Structure, SMSF and Due Diligence
Personally, in a company, a family trust or an SMSF: how the ownership structure changes tax, asset protection and your exit, plus what due…
Buying With a Partner, Family or Guarantor: Getting the Ownership Right
Joint tenants or tenants in common, what belongs in a co-ownership agreement, gift versus loan versus guarantee, and how a co-purchaser affects first home…
Buying or Selling a Medical or Imaging Practice: The Legal Checklist
Lease assignment, goodwill and restraints, patient records, staff and contractor practitioners, regulatory approvals, PPSR on equipment and earn-out terms: what decides whether a practice…