Cybercrime levels are surging, and it didn’t take the scammers long to figure out that when you buy and sell property you become a prime target because of course – Property transactions provide rich pickings, often very rich pickings. Electronic
Your body corporate and arrear levies: To sequestrate or not to sequestrate?
“…aye, there’s the rub” (Shakespeare) Levies are the lifeblood of a sectional title scheme, and the Body Corporate has a duty to recover arrears from defaulting owners. It has the power, in addition to following standard debt collection procedures and
How to escape from a property suretyship
“Suretyship is the precursor of ruin” (Thales of Miletus, one of the Seven Sages of Ancient Greece) As the philosopher and mathematician Thales pointed out two and a half millennia ago, signing surety for another’s debts carries huge risk. Yet
What happens if you cancel your lease early?
“There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch” (Wise old adage) You sign a two year lease for a nice little apartment (or a large family house if you have a spouse, 3 kids and a dog) but after
Selling your property? There might be some costs you are not aware of
If you are selling property in South Africa, check what costs you have to pay, and whether they are applicable to you: Bond cancellation costs Cancellation Costs: This is charged when you cancel your bond after selling your property. This
How to avoid disputes over jointly owned property
“Co-ownership is the mother of disputes” (Roman law maxim) Buying property can be an excellent investment, but it can also be expensive. So sometimes it makes a lot of sense to share the financial burden with someone else. Perhaps for
From the horse’s mouth: House sales and the VAT increase
“If you hear something (straight) from the horse’s mouth, you hear it from the person who has direct personal knowledge of it” (Cambridge Dictionary) We all know by now that the VAT rate increased from 14% to 15% on 1
Attorneys selling properties – Meet our property marketing team:
In addition to our specialised services in conveyancing, our practice has expanded our property law services to include the marketing and selling of our clients’ properties. Working with Chris Fick in our Property Marketing Team, is Natallia and Derek Pead.
Security Estates: Are your rules enforceable?
“It is well established that contractual provisions are against public policy ‘… if there is a probability that unconscionable, immoral or illegal conduct will result from the implementation of the provisions according to the tenor’” (extract from judgment below) When
Trustees: Your risk of personal liability in property sales
Firstly, a warning to anyone selling or buying property to/from a trust – have your lawyer check upfront that you are adequately protected by the terms of the sale agreement. The problem is that contracting with trusts has its own