“Trust me, I’m a lawyer.” (Popular T-shirt slogan) South African property buyers and sellers will...
A R4.25m Warning to Choose Your Conveyancer With Care
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Legal Speak Made Easy
“Mortgage”, “Mortgage Bond” and “Home Loan”: What’s the Difference? Derived from French “mort” and...
The Garage Door That Had the Complex Up in Arms
“Good fences make good neighbours.” (Robert Frost) When you buy into a community scheme (such as a security estate, complex or apartment block) you automatically become a member of its management body: either a Homeowners Association (“HOA”) if your property is...
Home Buyer loses R5.5m in Phishing Scam – Don’t Make the Same Mistake!
“[The buyer] must in the circumstances take responsibility for her failure to protect herself against a known risk” (extract from judgment below) Cybercriminals absolutely love targeting property transactions because they provide the perfect mix of large money...
Why an Oral Estate Agency Mandate Isn’t Worth the Paper It’s Written On
“A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on” (Samuel Goldwyn) Perhaps you are a seller marketing your property through an estate agency, or a buyer asking an agent to find you one, or a landlord employing an agent to let out your property. Whatever the...
In the Land of the Will, Clarity is King
“The golden rule for the interpretation of testaments is to ascertain the wishes of the testator from the language used. And when these wishes are ascertained, the court is bound to give effect to them, unless we are prevented by some rule or law from doing so.”...
Festive Season Sellers: Start Getting Your Compliance Certificates Ready
“If you don't like where you are, move. You are not a tree” (Jim Rohn) It’s that time of year again – summer sunshine, happy holidaymakers in festive mode, and an upsurge in property sales.Whether seller or buyer, be aware of the various compliance certificates that...
How to Protect Your Children’s Inheritances from Ending Up in the Guardian’s Fund
“Live each day as if it were your last… because one day, you’ll be right.” (Benny Hill) It’s always tempting to procrastinate about decisions that force us to address the inevitability of our own mortality. But we have no choice when it comes to protecting our loved...
Installing Home Solar – How to Comply with the Regulatory Requirements
“We have this handy fusion reactor in the sky called the sun; you don’t have to do anything, it just works. It shows up every day” (Elon Musk) Eskom’s no-end-in-sight loadshedding, rising electricity costs, South Africa’s abundance of sunshine, and the global move to...
Neighbours Behaving Badly: Illegal Buildings and Demolition Orders
“The approval of building plans is not a mere formality in town planning and compliance with building standards promote public safety … The courts should not permit landowners to erect illegal structures on their land and then present the authorities with a fait...
Selling Property this Festive Season: The Tax Angle
December and January have always been prime months for selling residential property in South Africa, and if you are a “Festive Season Seller”, here are two really important tips for you. Plan your financesUnderstand and plan for all the financial implications, not...