If your loved one’s (general) land used to be Māori freehold land and has stayed in the same family, there’s a good chance it could be changed back to Māori freehold land – without first needing any High Court paperwork.
That can be done even if the relevant owner shown on the title is dead – like your loved one.
It can be done by the Māori Land Court, if one or more beneficial owners apply for a status order.
The exciting part is that ‘beneficial owners’ can include people who are not yet on the title but who are entitled to inherit from your deceased loved one.
It does require the agreement of most or all of the owners, and it requires evidence to support the argument that it should be Māori freehold land.
You need to consider how such a change would affect different people’s inheritance rights.
It’s worth considering, especially if several generations are now involved.
Once you have the status order, you can then apply for a succession order as though it had been Māori freehold land when your loved one died.
Contact us if you would like more information. We can tell you more, and we can help you make the application to the Māori Land Court.