“A bad neighbour is as great a calamity as a good one is a great advantage”. (Hesiod, poet of Ancient Greece) Your neighbour’s business is driving you to distraction. Perhaps it’s loud all-night music, or an invasion of your hard-earned […]

“If you don’t like where you are, move. You are not a tree” (Jim Rohn) It’s that time of year again – summer sunshine, happy holidaymakers in festive mode, and an upsurge in property sales. Whether seller or buyer, be […]

“Caveat subscriptor” – old legal maxim meaning “Let the signer beware!’ A recent High Court decision once again highlights the dangers of signing anything without reading, understanding and fully considering it. A “Renovator’s Dream” and a case of buyer’s remorse […]

“Oh, I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien” (Sting’s ‘Englishman in New York’) South Africa is attractive to overseas property buyers with our world-class lifestyle, depreciated Rand, strong property registration and legal systems, and minimal restrictions against non-resident property ownership. […]

“A fundamental principle in issue here is that nobody may take the law into their own hands. In order to preserve order and peace in society the court will summarily grant an order for restoration of the status quo where […]

“There is no sound more peaceful than rain on the roof, if you’re safe asleep in someone else’s house.” (Anne Tyler) You move into your new dream home, excited and happy. Until it rains, and the roof leaks. As the […]

“No alienation of land … shall … be of any force or effect unless it is contained in a deed of alienation signed by the parties thereto or by their agents acting on their written authority.” (Alienation of Land Act) […]

“Look before you leap” (wise old proverb) Don’t let the excitement of buying a property blind you to the necessity of doing your homework before you agree to anything. Look before you leap! It’s not just a matter of buying the right […]

“… a person shall by prescription become the owner of a thing which he has possessed openly and as if he were the owner thereof for an uninterrupted period of 30 years or for a period which, together with any […]

“The only bad time to buy property is later.” (Steve Bolton) Buying property – whether to live/work in or on a buy-to-let basis – could be one of the most important investments you make. Here are some strategies to help […]