What does maori freehold land mean

Following that line of reasoning, the Court in the Herewini case awarded the applicants ownership of the dwelling. Factors the Court considered in reaching this decision included:. It is noted however that, although there was a positive outcome in this case, there is always a risk that the Court will not grant ownership in this type of case.

An alternative available to owners, either in this situation or considering building, is an occupation order issued by the Court. Occupation orders can be sought for an existing house, but preferably would be sought in advance. Maori customary land - land held by Maori in accordance with tikanga Maori. It has not been transferred into freehold title by the Maori Land Court, nor ceded to the Crown. Maori freehold land - land where the ownership has been determined by the Maori Land Court by freehold order.

General land owned by Maori other than freehold - land owned by five or more people and where the majority of owners are Maori. Defining Maori land is complex and technical in some instances. It's a similar idea to holding shares in a business — no one person owns the business, it's owned collectively by the shareholders.

When a shareholder dies their interests, or shares, are divided between their descendants. This means that over time, there are more and more owners, or shareholders, in a block of land. Some blocks now have hundreds of shareholders.