Who gets to choose the conveyancing attorney?
“I’ve finally found a buyer for my property. I want my brother, who is an attorney, to do the transfer on the sale because then I know it will be done right and fast, but the buyer wants his attorney to do the transfer stating that as he has to pay transfer costs, it...
What to do when you settle your homeloan
“After nearly 20 years I’m finally at the point where I’ve just about repaid my home loan. This has me wondering though, what happens or what I should do when I pay the final instalment?” The first thing to do after you pay your final instalment to the bank is open a...
Sectional title schemes: A developer’s obligation
A developer who wishes to establish a sectional title scheme on a piece of land where there is an existing building, has certain statutory obligations should the building be wholly or partially let for residential purposes. This is not applicable to commercial leases....
Is the real estate market catering to everyone?
Knowing who’s in the lead when it comes to the property market is difficult. The traditional progression used to be: Finish your studies; find a job in which you’ll stay until retirement; get married; buy a starter home; start a family; work hard and finally retire....
Who can receive death benefits from a pension fund?
“My father recently passed away followed two days later by my mother after a terrible car accident. My father was 63 and still permanently employed and contributing to his pension fund. I’m the only child and dependent of my father and was wondering whether my...
Can I recover damages from my employee’s pension fund?
“One of my employees damaged a company car by driving under the influence. He refuses to pay for the damages so I want to get a court order against him. However, he does not have much in the way of assets to cover the damages, so I was wondering if I can claim against...
Does a verbal option agreement hold water?
“I’ve had my eye on a farm and approached the farmer about two years ago to sell. His asking price was more than I could afford at the time, but he was prepared to grant me an option for a period of five years to purchase the property on terms which we orally agreed...
The impact of new tax amendments on cryptocurrencies
“I’m an investor in cryptocurrencies and have found these to be an exciting addition to my investment portfolio. However, I understand that there are new tax regulations that will affect cryptocurrency. What should I be aware of in this regard?” Cryptocurrency has...
Spanking your child a confirmed no-no for parents.
“I’ve recently read in the news that apparently spanking your child is no longer allowed for parents. I thought this had been settled a while ago. Why is this news again?” Over the years parents could rely on the common law defence of reasonable chastisement when...
Facebook blackmail to pay your accounts. Okay or not?
“My company recently bought products from a local store. They sent the invoice, but the invoice details and VAT number was incorrect and we asked them to correct it as our bookkeeper said we can’t pay until a correct invoice was received. In the meantime we now see...