Practical guidance on South African law — 37 articles on property litigation, building disputes, conveyancing, family law, estates and more.
Most debts die after three years, but judgment debts and mortgage bonds last thirty. We explain interruption, delay, and the NCA's ban on collecting prescribed debt.
Read article →A power of attorney fails the moment capacity is lost. We explain curatorship, administrators under the Mental Health Care Act, and how to plan while you still can.
Read article →Every property purchase attracts transfer duty or VAT, never both. We unpack the current SARS duty table, VAT vendor sales and zero-rated going-concern transfers.
Read article →Buying from a developer? The CPA overrides voetstoots for sales in the ordinary course of business, giving buyers a six-month implied warranty of quality on the property.
Read article →From withholding payment to latent defect and professional negligence claims, we set out the remedies for defective building work and the practical steps that make them stick.
Read article →Unmarried fathers can acquire full parental responsibilities and rights automatically under section 21 of the Children's Act. We explain the requirements and disputes.
Read article →What the new Expropriation Act actually says: negotiation first, notice and objection rights, just and equitable compensation, and the narrow nil-compensation provisions for land.
Read article →Deceased estate sales involve executors, heirs' consents and the Master's section 42(2) endorsement. We explain realistic timelines and the safeguards buyers should insist on.
Read article →Penalty clauses fix the cost of late completion in advance. We explain the Conventional Penalties Act, when courts reduce excessive penalties, and how to draft clauses that hold.
Read article →When a seller sells the same property twice, registration usually decides ownership, but a buyer who knew of the first sale may lose the property. We explain why.
Read article →No matter how long you live together, cohabitation is not marriage. We unpack the myth, universal partnership claims and why a cohabitation agreement matters.
Read article →Thirty years of open possession, exercised as if owner, can transfer ownership by operation of law. We unpack the requirements — and how vigilant owners interrupt the clock.
Read article →Sign before the wedding, register within three months. We explain accrual versus complete separation, the notary's role, and the court routes if you married without a contract.
Read article →Electrical, gas, electric fence, beetle and plumbing certificates explained: what each covers, when the law requires them, who pays and what happens if they are skipped.
Read article →When a wall or building crosses the boundary line, the registered diagram decides where the line runs. We look at demolition, compensation and practical solutions.
Read article →Married out of community without accrual? A landmark 2023 Constitutional Court judgment means a court may now redistribute assets justly at divorce — or death.
Read article →An unpaid contractor may retain possession of the works as security. We explain how the builder's lien works, how it is lost, and how owners lawfully end it.
Read article →Demand, summons, judgment, execution. We map the debt recovery path, when a section 129 NCA notice is compulsory, and practical tips that help creditors get paid.
Read article →Servitudes bind every future owner of the land. We unpack praedial and personal servitudes, ways of necessity for landlocked land, registration, and what buyers must check.
Read article →Section 118 requires a rates clearance certificate before transfer. We explain the two-year rule and why historical municipal debt does not pass to new owners.
Read article →Levy arrears, exclusive use areas and trustee overreach: how the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act and the CSOS resolve body corporate disputes.
Read article →Without a valid will, the Intestate Succession Act decides who inherits your estate. We unpack the formalities, guardianship of minors and the mistakes that derail estates.
Read article →New homes enjoy compulsory NHBRC protection: builder registration, home enrolment and statutory warranties of three months, one year and five years — plus remedies against unregistered builders.
Read article →Divorces take time. Rule 43 provides fast interim maintenance, legal-cost contributions and child arrangements while your case is pending. Here is how it works.
Read article →Changing the locks or cutting the power may feel justified, but it invites an urgent spoliation order. We explain the mandament van spolie and its requirements.
Read article →Most property sales hinge on a bond approval clause. We explain why late fulfilment kills the sale, and how extensions, waiver and fictional fulfilment work.
Read article →The Rental Housing Act sets strict rules for deposits: interest belongs to the tenant, joint inspections are compulsory, and refund deadlines of 7, 14 or 21 days apply.
Read article →JBCC contracts govern most South African building projects. We unpack payment certificates, delay claims, penalties and the strict time bars that decide building disputes.
Read article →The PIE Act governs every residential eviction in South Africa. We unpack the procedure, the just and equitable test, and the costly mistakes landlords must avoid.
Read article →Your matrimonial property regime decides who owns what, who shares in growth, and what happens at divorce or death. We explain the three options.
Read article →A parenting plan is a written agreement setting out arrangements for the care, contact, and maintenance of minor children, designed to serve their best interests.
Read article →Court orders for the care, contact, and maintenance of minor children are legally binding. When one party fails to comply, several legal remedies are available.
Read article →Divorce is one of the most significant decisions a person can make. South African law recognises irretrievable breakdown of the marriage as the primary ground for divorce.
Read article →Transferring immovable property is a formal legal process carried out through a conveyancer, involving several steps that must each be completed correctly for a valid transfer.
Read article →Voetstoots means a property is sold as it stands, with all its faults. The clause is not absolute, and buyers and sellers should understand its limits.
Read article →A well-drafted lease agreement protects both landlord and tenant. The Rental Housing Act and Consumer Protection Act set out minimum requirements every lease should contain.
Read article →Evicting a tenant in South Africa is strictly governed by law. Landlords cannot simply remove a tenant without following the correct legal procedures under the PIE Act.
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