Beyond the Fine: When Can a Body Corporate Interdict a Disruptive Owner?
Living in a sectional title complex requires a careful balance between enjoying your own home and respecting your neighbours. While most owners and tenants follow the rules, almost every trustee and managing agent eventually runs into a nightmare scenario: an occupant who completely ignores the complex’s rules and makes life miserable for everyone else. Whether […]
What Happens When a Buyer Backs Out of a Property Sale?
For both sellers and buyers in South Africa, agreeing on a property transaction feels like the hardest part of the journey. However, once an offer to purchase (OTP) is signed by both parties, it becomes a legally binding contract. When a buyer suddenly decides to walk away, it triggers immediate legal and financial consequences. Here […]
What You Post in Your Scheme’s WhatsApp Group Could Land You in Trouble
Almost every sectional title scheme in South Africa has one now: a WhatsApp group for owners and residents. Used well, it’s a genuinely useful tool for quick notices about water outages, lost pets, parking issues, or an upcoming AGM. Used badly, it becomes the place where a noise complaint turns into a public accusation, a […]
The Prevention of Illegal Eviction Amendment Bill: Striking a New Balance Between Property Rights and Housing Rights
The Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act 19 of 1998 (PIE) has long been regarded as one of South Africa’s most significant pieces of socio-economic legislation. Enacted to give effect to section 26(3) of the Constitution, PIE protects unlawful occupiers from arbitrary eviction while ensuring that property owners may only […]
Who Protects Your Deposit When Property Deals Collapse?
Property transactions rarely unravel overnight. A deal that starts smoothly with a signed Offer to Purchase (OTP) and a paid deposit can quickly run into delays, disputes, or outright collapse. When that happens, one question matters most: who protects the buyer’s money? A string of interest rate cuts over the past few years has seen […]
Navigating Sectional Title Property Extensions: Insights from Merriman Court
In a significant decision by the Western Cape High Court in Body Corporate of Merriman Court and others v Greeff [2024] JOL 63094 (WCC), the complexities of extending property within sectional schemes were brought to the forefront. This case underscores the importance of legal clarity and procedural adherence in property rights and extensions. The Case […]
The rei vindicatio and the actio ad exhibendum
This article will briefly look at two actions that can be instituted simultaneously, and an alternative to each other, when you have been wrongfully deprived of possession of your property. The first action is the rei vindicatio. This action is instituted in order to claim the physical return of one’s property. The second action, which will […]
Compliance certificates required when selling a property
There is a duty on the Seller when selling an immovable property to provide certain certificates of compliance to the Purchaser. There are five compliance certificates that the Seller is required to obtain at his/her own cost before the transfer of the property takes place. The following are the necessary certificates: Electrical Compliance Certificate The […]
Buying property that fits your character
Contrary to popular belief, while price is a strong determining factor in whether you are able to afford a home, the property value has little impact on whether you’d be satisfied with your new home. How you experience your new home will depend heavily on a variety of other factors. Once you have a clearly defined budget, here […]
Ensuring the well-being of the community
Finding the right home is not only about finding an architectural structure that meets your requirements (three bedrooms, sun in the afternoon, a yard for the dogs, access control for the kids, etc.). The search is as much about finding a community you want to become a part of. For many residents, the community that surrounds them is governed by an […]