Becoming a landowner
Preparing for succession
If you and your whānau have decided you're ready to start the succession journey, these are the first steps. If you need a hand at any stage, kaimahi at the Māori Land Court can help.
To get your succession application underway, you'll need:
- details about the whānau member who died
- details for everyone you think is eligible to succeed to their whenua.
Kaimahi at the Māori Land Court will use this information to confirm the Māori freehold land or Māori incorporations your whānau member had interests in. The details you provide will help the Māori Land Court:
- make sure they’re looking at the right records for your whānau member — and not someone else with the same name, for example
- ensure you succeed to all the whenua you’re entitled to, and
- keep whenua ownership in the right hands.
It can take time to gather all this information together — particularly if you have a large whānau or lots of family based overseas. For some whānau, it can take years. There's no time limit for succession though, so take as long as you need.
Downloads
Preparing for succession — Digital version [PDF 1.3MB]
Preparing for succession — Printer-friendly version [PDF 207KB]