Kia ora koutou. We are excited to be back in business in our offices in the Grey Lynn Community Centre in Richmond Road.
Our volunteers have been working remotely since the August 2021 lockdown and are very happy to be back. Full face to face service started this month, including most of our specialist clinics - Justices of the Peace, family law and budgeting.
Our opening hours are still a little flexible, so give us a call first to see when we are open. At present we require a vaccination pass to come into CAB but we do have ways to assist if you are not vaccinated.
I would like to introduce myself as the new manager of the Grey Lynn/Ponsonby Branch. My name is Lucette Hindin and I have transferred from Ōrākei-Remuera branch of CAB where I worked for two years. This branch is closer to my home in Morningside and I am enjoying the walk over and getting to know the West Lynn area.
My background is quite diverse, including work in theatre, adult education, libraries, events, community development, and most recently, managing a retreat centre. Alongside my part time role at CAB, I make and sell meditation cushions and embroidery art.
I was interested to read in the April issue of Ponsonby News the focus on the growth of apartment options in the central suburbs. It is certainly a big change in the way many people are living and it does bring up some issues.
I noted the comment from a property management company executive that when buying an apartment it is essential to get specialist legal advice. This, she said, is because of the additional obligations that come with apartment, or “unit title” ownership. As an owner you become a member of the “body corporate” and subject to the body corporate rules.
We often take calls from people who are part of a body corporate or cross lease and have never seen the relevant documents, so it’s hard for them to work out their rights and their responsibilities in their apartment block, especially when conflicts arise. I would encourage you to have a look at our website: www.cab.org.nz.
We have a lot of articles and information. If you type in “What is a body corporate”, you will come up with this link - www.cab.org.nz/article/KB00000884 and it will give you a plain English explanation and many links to other information and trusted websites to find out more about unit titles.
If you are renting an apartment, you are also subject to the body corporate rules. We advise tenants to ask their landlord to supply a copy of the rules, as they may be unaware of how those affect their enjoyment of the property.
Where tenants and landlords have a dispute, they can, after trying to work it through together, apply to the Tenancy Tribunal. This is a reasonably straightforward and low cost option for tenants, with mediation involved. We, at CAB, can support anyone who has tenancy issues to try and resolve these.
In most cases, disputes are caused by a mistake or misunderstanding or by one party not knowing the law. We can help you understand what your rights are. From there, we help you work out your options to resolve the dispute.
Whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe me he maunga teitei. Seek the treasure you value most dearly: if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain. (Lucette Hindin, Manager Citizens Advice Bureau, Grey Lynn/Ponsonby Branch)
Citizens Advice Bureau, 510 Richmond Road, T: 09 376 0392, E: ponsonby@cab.org.nz
#ponsonbynews #iloveponsonby #ponsonby #auckland #aucklandshippestrip #onlyponsonby #ponsonbyroad #Greylynn #freemansbay #westmere #ponsonby #hernebay #stmarysbay #archhill #family #friends #coxsbay #cabgreylynn #citizensadvicebureaugreylynn