Property

“A man’s home is his castle.” (Sir Edward Coke, English common law ruling, 1604) Of course, what we all want to hear at the end of our house-selling journey is something like this: “Congratulations! You sold for a good price, the buyer’s taken transfer and you’ve been paid the purchase price. Time to pop the bubbly🍾”. Having your sale go this

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“Don’t wait to buy land, buy land and wait.” (Will Rogers) Summer’s a great time to look for property. With the year winding down and the holiday season upon us, many sellers who’ve been holding back are now putting their properties back onto the market, so expect to see some great new buys out there. But that’s not the only

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Article courtesy of Law Dot News | Property - issues with neighbour Protect Yourself from the Nightmare Neighbour “A bad neighbour is a misfortune, as much as a good one is a great blessing.” (Hesiod, 700 BCE) It seems that every community has at least one nightmare neighbour who delights in objecting to everything, fighting with residents and management atRead more

“This sale agreement is no more! It has ceased to be! This is an EX-sale!” (With apologies to Monty Python) A “bond clause” – standard in most property sale agreements – typically provides that the whole sale depends on the buyer obtaining a mortgage bond by a specified date. If the deadline comes and goes without a bond being granted,

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“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 full-title or freehold, or a Body Corporate if your property is part of a sectional title development. You are

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Article courtesy of Law Dot News | Criminal Law - Property Phishing Scam 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 mixRead more

“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 transaction involved, make sure that the agency mandate is in writing. The problem

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Article courtesy of Law Dot News | Contracts | Property | Trusts Contracting with Trusts – Is a Majority Decision Valid? “Externally, trustees cannot disagree. In the external sphere the Trust functions by virtue of its resolutions, which have to be supported by the full complement of the Trust body.” (Extract from judgment below) A recent Supreme Court of AppealRead more

Article courtesy of Law Dot News | Property Law Rising Damp and Failed Waterproofing: How to Sue the Sellers “[w]here a seller recklessly tells a half-truth or knows the facts but does not reveal them because he or she has not bothered to consider their significance, this may also amount to fraud” … “a willful abstention from establishing the true

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Article courtesy of Law Dot News | Property Law - Occupancy Certificate Property: Why Do You Need an Occupancy Certificate Before You Buy? “…there is no obligation on the [seller] to obtain an occupancy certificate and to furnish it to the [buyers]” (Extract from judgment below) Imagine this – you buy your dream home, pay for it, take transfer intoRead more