Questions for lawyers Found 360

The property next to ours runs a business that regularly sends dust and strong-smelling smoke over our house. We cannot open our windows and my child’s asthma has worsened. We have asked politely, but nothing changes. Who can we complain to?

We paid a large deposit for a custom dining table and the shop has now closed. A notice on the door mentions liquidators. We have no table and no refund. Is our money gone, and what should we be doing right now?

The council sent me a notice saying that a tree in my garden is a hazard and must be removed. I love the tree and I think it is healthy. Can they force me, and can I challenge it? I want to make sure I am not missing anything important before I decide what to do.

A teacher took my son’s phone after seeing something on the screen and looked through his messages and photos without asking us. He was very upset. Do teachers or principals have the right to search students or their belongings?

A person at a community group offers to submit my visa application for a fee and says they know all the tricks. I do not know if that is legal or safe. Who is allowed to give immigration advice in New Zealand?

A company has applied to establish a large industrial site near our community and many residents are concerned about noise and traffic. I have seen that submissions are open. How do I make a submission, and does it actually make a difference?

I have started renting out a spare room in my home through an online platform for short stays. I am not sure whether I need to declare this income, whether GST applies and what expenses I might be able to claim. What should I know?

When I resigned, my employer took several hundred dollars out of my final pay for a laptop they said I had damaged and for training costs. I never agreed to that in writing. Are these deductions lawful?

I want to register a business name that sounds similar to an existing well-known brand but sells in a slightly different market. My lawyer warned it could be refused or challenged. How does the Intellectual Property Office decide?

I moved out of my rental at the end of the tenancy and left it clean, but the landlord is claiming most of my bond for supposed damage and cleaning. I never got a proper inspection report. How do I get my bond back?