Bad neighbours do not just impinge on your enjoyment of your property; they can also cause serious harm to its value. So if you notice illegal building activity next door, move quickly to nip the problem in the bud. Your hand in this regard has just been strengthened. An important new decision by the Supreme Court of […]
INTRODUCTION After President Jacob Zuma’s most recent cabinet reshuffle and the dismissal of Dudu Myeni, who acted as a director and board chair of the board of directors of South African Airways, the issue of delinquency of directors of companies has received plentiful attention in the media. According to reports, Mrs Myeni’s conduct is being […]
In terms of Rule 15(1) of the Ethical and Professional Rules of the Medical and Dental Professions Board of the Health Professions Council of South Africa, a practitioner shall only grant a certificate of illness if such certificate contains the following information, namely: The name, address and qualification of the practitioner The name of the […]
“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 April. How does that affect your residential property sale/purchase? We are talking big money […]
When will the enforcement provisions of the Protection of Personal Information Act (“POPI” or “POPIA”) come into effect? Latest indications are that the Information Regulator will announce final Regulations and a commencement date shortly, but there have been so many delays already that we perhaps shouldn’t be holding our breath on that one. Three important […]
“The Internet is a Real Place with Real Consequences” (Rebecca MacKinnon, Internet policy expert) We live in an age of online commerce. We buy and sell pretty much anything you can think of on the Internet, whilst contracting online for everything from an Uber ride to a plumber’s call out has become second […]
“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 example you are spouses or life partners buying your first home. Perhaps […]
If you are inheriting from someone who passed away on or after 1 January 2018, don’t blame the estate’s executor for one substantially-increased cost you may notice – Master’s Office fees. They are calculated on the value of the deceased estate and were long overdue for an increase, going up sharply from the old maximum […]
If you are currently negotiating a deed of sale to purchase immovable property or if a sale has already been concluded in writing and is still in the process, questions may arise as to the VAT rate that will apply to the transaction. In the following instances the 14% VAT rate will continue to apply […]
The terms “in community of property “and “out of community of property” are often used when referring to the property regime of a marriage, but what do these terms mean and what are the consequences of making these choices when getting married? Essentially, there are two broad categories to choose from: Marriage IN community of […]