News
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
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
If you are a business owner or corporate tenant looking at commercial space in South Africa, chances are the landlord handed you a contract filled with dense legalese and framed as “standard”. Here is the truth: there is no such thing as a standard commercial lease. Unlike renting a home,
For many South Africans, property ownership is no longer limited to a traditional arrangement where one person buys a home and holds the title alone. Rising property prices, changing family structures, and new investment approaches have made shared ownership increasingly common. Friends purchase joint investment properties, siblings inherit family homes
Have you heard about the bird that ended up in the High Court? In 2023, a couple in Mpumalanga went to war over an African Grey parrot named Zazu. The matter started in the Small Claims Court, which threw it out for being too complicated for that forum. It moved
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
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
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
Many South Africans believe that once they have a signed, witnessed will in place, their estate planning is done. But it is not. A will is a legal document that directs how your assets in your personal estate will be distributed after your death. But a significant portion of most
Most conduct rules are practical and uncontroversial. Rules about noise after a certain hour, the storage of items on balconies, or waste disposal procedures are routine. But not all conduct rules stay within reasonable boundaries. Some schemes have attempted to enforce rules or make decisions that restrict residents and third
First-time sellers often focus only on the asking price, take a few photographs, list the property, and wait for the first offer. Good marketing matters in property sales, but it’s rarely where the issues show up. What causes problems is discovering the real risks only after a buyer is already
Deciding to end a marriage is rarely a sudden choice. For most people, it is the result of months, sometimes years, of deliberation, emotional struggle, and trying to find a way forward. Most people only seek legal counsel when emotions have boiled over, communication has completely collapsed, or impulsive, life-altering