A tenant may be in clear breach of a lease, but that does not guarantee a successful eviction. A recent High Court judgment shows how an unclear cancellation notice and a failure to follow the correct legal process can derail an otherwise strong case, leaving landlords with an expensive lesson in the importance of getting the basics right.

“The buyer needs a hundred eyes, the seller not one.” (George Herbert) A Marina Da Gama property. A collapsed wooden deck. A purchase price of

“A creature with a big enough head to make a contract should have the sense to make one it can keep.” (Barbara Kingsolver) A R1.725

The administrators of residential complexes tread a fine line. They must implement and enforce conduct rules for the good of the complex as a whole, but without unjustly impinging on the constitutional rights of individuals. A recent Supreme Court of Appeal decision, granting a sight-impaired owner a limited right to exclusive use of a section of common area for his washing machine, has brought this balancing act into sharp focus. We discuss the reasoning behind that outcome, with some suggestions on how bodies corporate and homeowners’ associations should approach this sort of situation in future.

“It is a comfortable feeling to know that you stand on your own ground. Land is about the only thing that can’t fly away.” (English

“The only man who sticks closer to you in adversity than a friend is a creditor.” (Evan Esar) Body corporates face a familiar problem. Owners

Buying and selling a house is probably one of the most important financial transactions you will ever be involved in. Not to mention the emotional aspect of acquiring or letting go of your “home sweet home”. This is why it’s vital to choose the right conveyancer. Case in point, a recent court battle which saw a couple losing ownership of what they had fondly believed to be their new house. A crooked attorney, in cahoots with her trustee husband, had defrauded both the original owner and the buyers at the end of the transfer chain. And in law, “fraud unravels all.”