(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
administration means probate of the will of a deceased person, and includes letters of administration of the estate of a deceased person, granted with or without a will annexed, for general, special, or limited purposes, and in the case of a trustee corporation includes an order to administer and an election to administer
administrator means any person to whom administration is granted; and includes a trustee corporation in any case where it is deemed to be an executor or administrator by reason of having filed an election to administer
Commonwealth means the Commonwealth of Nations; and includes every territory for whose international relations the Government of any country of the Commonwealth is responsible
Commonwealth country means a country that is a member of the Commonwealth; and includes every territory for whose international relations the Government of that country is responsible
court means the High Court; and includes a Judge of that court
de facto relationship has the meaning given to it by section 2 of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976
estate means real and personal property of every kind, including things in action
hire purchase agreement means an agreement under which goods are let or hired with an option to purchase and an agreement for the purchase of goods by instalment payments (whether the agreement describes the payments as rent or hire or otherwise) under which the person who agrees to purchase the goods is given possession of them before the total amount payable has been paid; and—
(a) includes—
(ii) a sale and loan arrangement under which a person lends money on the security of any goods that have been bought or are to be bought if the whole or part of the purchase price is paid out of the proceeds of the loan, and the loan is made by the seller or is arranged by the seller and made by a third party who is engaged in the business of lending money or who habitually lends money in the course of the third party's business (in which case the arrangement is a hire purchase agreement made at the time of the making of the loan); but
(b) does not include, subject to paragraph (a), any agreement under which property in the goods passes absolutely to the person who agrees to purchase them at the time of the agreement or upon or at any time before delivery of the goods
intestate includes a person who leaves a will but dies intestate as to some beneficial interest in his real or personal estate
personal chattels, in relation to any person who has died, means all vehicles, boats, and aircraft and their accessories, garden effects, horses, stable furniture and effects, domestic animals, plate, plated articles, linen, china, glass, books, pictures, prints, furniture, jewellery, articles of household or personal use or ornament, musical and scientific instruments and apparatus, wines, liquors, and consumable stores, which immediately before his death were owned by him or in which immediately before his death he had an interest as debtor under a security interest as defined in the Personal Property Securities Act 1999, or as purchaser under a hire purchase agreement; but does not include any chattels used exclusively or principally at the death of the deceased for business purposes or money or securities for money
real estate means lands, tenements, and hereditaments, corporeal or incorporeal, and whether in possession, reversion, remainder, or expectancy; and any estate or interest in them or any of them, whether freehold or chattel interests; and any possibility, right, or title of entry or action in or concerning them or any of them
Registrar means the Registrar of the High Court
rules means rules from time to time made under the authority of this Act
securities includes stocks, funds, shares, and convertible notes
surviving de facto partner, in relation to a deceased person, means a person who was living in a de facto relationship with the deceased person at the date of his or her death
trustee corporation means Public Trust or the Māori Trustee or any trustee company
References to a child or issue living at the death of any person include a child or issue who is conceived but not born at the death but who is subsequently born alive.