'); document.write('

August 2022 | 12 Questions to Ask Before You Sign That Deed of Sale
'); document.write('Buying or selling property puts a lot of your money at stake, so it’s no time to take chances. It’s too late to ask questions after you have signed the deed of sale, so let’s have a look at 12 questions you should be asking before you commit yourself to anything. Some of these questions you only need to ask as a seller, others only as a buyer. But most of them apply to both of you, and not asking them means blinding yourself to possible ris...'); document.write('
July 2022 | Buying and Selling Property: Who Pays What Costs?
'); document.write('Whether you are buying a property or selling one, it is vital to plan financially. In particular, work up a cash flow plan before you commit yourself to anything so that you know what you have to pay, and when. You certainly don’t want to be taken by surprise with an unexpected expense. But who pays what? We list the most common costs and expenses payable by buyers, and then those payable by sellers. Investigate which of them apply to you then plan your finances accordingly.Divorce can...'); document.write('
June 2022 | The “Great Resignation” is Upon Us – Know the Law!
'); document.write('One of the many global trends associated with the pandemic is the “Great Resignation”, which has seen mass employee resignations across the board. As signs emerge that South Africa is beginning to follow that trend, it becomes more essential than ever that both employers and employees understand how our law views resignation, its effect on the employment relationship, and the requirements and procedures relating to it. We address seven important questions in this regard with refe...'); document.write('
May 2022 | Property Owners: Your Rates Could Quadruple for Unauthorised Land Use
'); document.write('One of your unavoidable ongoing expenses as a landowner is the monthly rates bill levied by your local municipality. As high as you think your rates may be now, they could get a lot worse if you use your property for something illegal or unauthorised. That will open the door to your municipality to impose a “penalty rate” on you. We illustrate with reference to a case in which Johannesburg property owners faced a quadrupled rates bill after they let out two rooms in their house to ...'); document.write('
April 2022 | Property Owner and Body Corporate Liable After Child’s Electrocution?
'); document.write('Property owners (separate title holders as well as those in community schemes), bodies corporate and building contractors should all understand their risk of being sued if a dangerous situation exists or develops on a property or in a complex. We discuss these risks, and how to address them, with reference to a High Court claim for R3m brought by a mother on behalf of her young son who was electrocuted when he tried to turn on a tap. The tap had been electrified through the negligence o...'); document.write('
March 2022 | 3 Steps to Buying Your First House
'); document.write('Buying your first house is an exciting time. You’ve probably been dreaming of this day for years, and with good reason. Not only is this the home where you and your family will live, work and play, and where your children will grow up, in all probability it will also be one of the most important financial decisions of your life. The critical thing is to take this slowly and carefully. Don’t rush it! Planning and preparation are key, and we share 3 ideas on how to achieve that. We ...'); document.write('
February 2022 | How the Property Practitioners Act Affects You as a Property Seller, Buyer, Landlord or Tenant from 1 February
'); document.write('From 1 February 2022 all property sellers, buyers, landlords and tenants acquire a series of new rights and responsibilities. Although the Property Practitioners Act (“PPA”) is a complex piece of legislation and much of it will be of more interest to estate agents and conveyancers than to you as a seller or buyer, landlord or tenant, it is critical that you understand which provisions of the Act affect you on a practical level, and that you be prepared for them. To take just one e...'); document.write('
January 2022 | Can Your Tenant Claim a Lockdown Rental Remission?
'); document.write('Amongst the pandemic’s many economic victims are the restaurants, hotels and other venues closed or partially closed by lockdown regulations. Unable to trade, many have asked their landlords for rental relief. Others have claimed a legal entitlement to remission of rentals, citing “supervening impossibility of performance”. Commercial landlords and their tenants both need to understand their respective rights and obligations when a disaster of this nature strikes. A recent Hi...'); document.write('
December 2021 | Selling Your Home: How to be Lucky this Holiday Season
'); document.write('If you plan to take advantage of the Holiday Season to sell your house, your first prize will of course be finding the best buyer, at the best price, as quickly as possible. As always, there’s a degree of luck involved, but you can to a great extent “make your own luck”. So we’ll discuss the two elements of a “lucky sale” and then share some ideas on how to maximise them. Firstly, there should be a good number of qualified buyers around this y...'); document.write('
November 2021 | Community Scheme Disputes and the Ombud’s Powers to Resolve Them
'); document.write('“Community scheme” living has many advantages, but disputes come with the territory and that’s where the conciliation and alternative dispute resolution services offered by the CSOS (Community Schemes Ombud Service) come into the picture. We’ll start off discussing what disputes you can refer to the Ombud and talk about why a recent High Court decision means that, barring exceptional circumstances, you cannot go direct to a court. A group of loft owners in an inner-city...'); document.write('
October 2021 | Property Sellers: Why, How and When to Choose Your Own Conveyancer
'); document.write('When you sell your house (or indeed any other property) you are almost certainly dealing with a transaction of major financial importance to you. You will therefore want to do everything you can to ensure a smooth and professional transfer process, with the purchase price being paid out to you as soon as possible. First step in achieving that is choosing the right conveyancer (transferring attorney) for the job. We discuss why every transfer needs to be carried out by a conveyancer, why you ...'); document.write('
September 2021 | Estate Planning and Wills: A Checklist to Protect Your Family
'); document.write('We find ourselves in the midst of a deadly pandemic, yet incredibly stats suggest that up to 80% of South Africans have no “Last Will and Testament” in place. We discuss firstly how and why leaving your loved ones a will as part of a full estate plan will protect them, in their hour of greatest need, from unnecessary uncertainty, worry and risk. We move on to share a simple 15-point checklist which will help you leave a lasting legacy to your family, maximised and structured to lo...'); document.write('
August 2021 | Employee Looting and Strike Violence: When Is Dismissal Fair?
'); document.write('Employee looting or violence may be strike-related or it may occur in non-workplace scenarios such as the recent public lawlessness we have all seen splashed across our screens. In both cases, employers need to tread with care. We’ll firstly address the scenario of strike action and labour unrest. As we shall see, the spectre of summary dismissal hangs over the head of any striker found guilty of violent or intimidatory conduct, but will dismissal be considered a fair sanction for strike...'); document.write('
July 2021 | Buying Property from a Company – Should You Buy the Shares or the House?
'); document.write('Buying the house of your dreams presents you with much excitement but also with a number of choices. For example, if the property is held in a company the seller might offer you the choice of buying the company shares. That way you effectively get ownership of the house without all the delay and cost of a regular property transfer. What should you do? We discuss some of the main factors you should consider, and also address the old question of whether you could save yourself a bundle of money...'); document.write('
June 2021 | 11 POPIA Questions to Ask Yourself Before 30 June 2021
'); document.write('By midnight on 30 June 2021 you must be fully compliant with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) if you in any way process any personal information relating to a “data subject”. Very few businesses and organisations will fall outside that net, and even fewer will fall into any of the exemptions. The risks of non-compliance are substantial. By way of a last-minute recap we suggest eleven important questions you should be asking yourself and your business well before d...'); document.write('
May 2021 | Landlord Liable for a Tragic “Freak” Flood Drowning
'); document.write('Landlords need to be aware that they risk being sued if their tenants suffer any loss whilst on their premises. We discuss the principles involved with reference to the tragic High Court case of a toddler drowned when the riverside chalet in which his family was holidaying was subjected to a “freak” overnight flood. The Court had to decide whether or not the guest farm owner was liable for damages, and in doing so it examined the core questions of whether the owner was guilty of ...'); document.write('
April 2021 | Who Gets the House on Divorce?
'); document.write('Our divorce rate has reportedly surged with all the stresses and strains of the lockdown, and from both a financial and an emotional perspective any married couple contemplating a split (and equally anyone yet to marry), should understand how our law addresses the question of who gets the family house in the event of divorce. We discuss the importance of the marital regime, the practicalities of changing ownership where necessary, the question of what happens to the bond if the house is mort...'); document.write('
March 2021 | Buying and Selling Property: Nine Important Questions
'); document.write('Buying and selling property can seem to the layperson like a complex process, fraught with arcane legal terminology and risk. Relax, help is at hand! To ease you into the process in clear and plain language, we ask (and answer) nine common questions asked by both buyers and sellers. We include a link to a simple but useful Guide from the Law Society of South Africa, with a discussion around why taking legal advice upfront is a no-brainer for both parties, plus we share some thoughts...'); document.write('
February 2021 | Arrest and a Criminal Record for Not Wearing a Mask
'); document.write('With media reports of arrest and a criminal record for those caught flouting the laws on wearing a face mask in public, we discuss both the circumstances in which you risk arrest, and the substantial downsides of acquiring a criminal record. Why is a criminal record to be avoided at all costs? How can you get rid of a record if you do end up with one? We address both questions with a focus on the “admission of guilt fine” option you are likely to be offered after arrest ...'); document.write('
January 2021 | Building a Home in 2021: The Dangers of Not Being NHBRC Compliant
'); document.write('2021 and its “work anywhere, live anywhere” new normal could be a great time to build a house – perhaps a new home to live/work in, perhaps a house for investment or holidays. Regardless, both building contractors and their landowning clients need to understand how vital it is to comply with the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act. Is registration of the contractor with the NHBRC (National Home Builders Registration Council) enough? What happens if you fail to comply?...'); document.write('