Media

In this week’s episode, Carol sought advice on a dividing fence and retaining wall dispute with her neighbor who had dug away soil, and Nick advised she could make a claim under the Dividing Fences Act or for retaining wall damage in the Magistrate’s Court. Dee queried about the non-renewal of her fixed-term contract as a WA government employee, and was informed by Nick that she is covered by state legislation like the Public Sector Management Act, not the Fair Work Act. Danni raised a question on how her son's criminal charges could be removed after the ex-partner changed her mind, with Nick clarifying that the ex must voluntarily retract her witness statement to the police prosecutor, who holds the final decision. Mark brought up a question on why a charged person is referred to as an "alleged shooter", and Nick explained it is a convention based on defamation law and the principle of innocent until proven guilty. Finally, Jean brought up a property issue regarding water ingress and flooding from a neighbour's place, and Nick recommended pursuing a claim for common law nuisance or trespass if the neighbour interfered with the natural water flow, or contacting the local council.

In this week's episode, Nick first shared details about MKI Legal's tech-focused approach to legal services. Caller Jodie sought clarity on her rights as a full-time worker being forced to take annual leave during a Christmas shutdown with insufficient notice, where Nick advised checking the modern award and contacting the Fair Work Ombudsman regarding the breaches. Nick then outlined several traps for landlords under the WA Residential Tenancy Act, including limits on bond/rent upfront, pet refusal rules, and fines for non-compliance. Caller Eddie asked for advice on his grandfather's property damage caused by a neighbour's trees, and Nick recommended using the Dividing Fences Act procedure and pursuing a civil trespass claim for the root damage. A question from Rick clarified the liability for property managers versus owners in civil and criminal disputes, and finally, caller Paul asked for recourse after losing $48,000 in a bank scam via a stolen phone, to which Nick advised taking the complaint to AFCA (Australian Financial Complaints Authority).

In this week’s episode, Terry sought urgent advice about building defects (lack of insulation) and the risk of the 6-year complaint period expiring, with Nick advising immediate lodgement with the Building Commission and noting the option for compensation via the State Administrative Tribunal. The conversation then shifted to construction noise laws, where Nick outlined permissible work hours, the extra requirements for after-hours work, and the enforcement powers for non-commercial noise breaches. Following this, Veronica queried the process for a guardian/administrator to get an exemption from mandatory finance reporting, which Nick confirmed is possible via the State Administrative Tribunal. Finally, Nick detailed the framework of credit reports, explaining what information is recorded, and offering tips on getting free reports and how to place a credit freeze in cases of identity theft.