Legal news and commentary from the offices of Simon Dippenaar
As lockdown restrictions ease, what does it mean for the rental market? Lockdown level 4 – are evictions allowed? The easing of the rigorous lockdown rules that governed us for five weeks was met with rejoicing by most South Africans, particularly those with dogs and athletes who were missing their daily runs/cycle rides. More business […]
How much do attorneys charge for evictions? The overall eviction costs depends on the facts, and the attorney’s approach. An experienced and ethical attorney, should first try to negotiate a successful eviction through pre-court mediation. This can be done if the attorney can persuade the tenant to leave voluntarily. An experienced eviction lawyer needs to […]
By Eviction Lawyers South Africa Mar 24, 2020 COVID 19, Eviction news, Eviction notice, Evictions Elsewhere in the world legislation is ensuring tenants don’t lose their homes due to COVID 19. As if we didn’t have enough to worry about. COVID 19 is making everyone anxious for their health. Although the vast majority of patients […]
Cape Town – Social housing giant Communicare has dismissed claims that a Rondebosch tenant was unlawfully evicted. Karabo Makgoane, who lived at the Welverdiend complex, claimed that she was unlawfully evicted by Communicare because the organisation was supposed to give her alternative accommodation. “I have been living in the Welverdiend flat since 2017. I was […]
Is it worth your while to sue your tenant for rent arrears or other costs? There are many ways in which a tenant can breach the terms of the lease, triggering the eviction process, but by far the most common is non-payment of rent. While you may succeed in evicting the non-paying tenant, eviction itself […]
The eviction process protects tenants, but landlords still have rights, even during the festive season Ah…the festive season. Time for beach holidays, road trips, and long, lazy lunches. But it’s also a time of overspending and overconsumption. When the finances don’t quite stretch to the seasonal indulgences, tenants may renege on their obligation to pay […]
Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers and Rural Development and Land Reform Deputy Minister Mcebisi Skwatsha brought some relief to nearly 100 destitute people after they were evicted from the farm Klein Akker near Wallacedene in Kraaifontein. They have been living in a temporary place for more than two months, with no food or water […]
The sting in the tail when a tenant moves out is often a legacy of unpaid bills Your tenants have moved out, either willingly or through the eviction process. Then you get hit with a large unpaid rates bill by the local municipality. What do you do? If it comes to this, the answer is […]
The end of a tenancy is not the time to discover your tenant has not been paying the municipal bills or “rates” – property taxes and utility bills like electricity, water and sewerage, etc. At that stage you are faced with the difficult task of trying to recover the money. It is far better to […]
300 people made homeless in “legal” eviction Activists and concerned citizens are outraged at the treatment of residents on Klein Akker farm in Kraaifontein. In an act of eviction that is legal but nonetheless inhumane, 300 poor and vulnerable occupants have seen their homes demolished before their very eyes and left by the side of […]
Illegal evictions and fatalities are calling cards of Red Ants At Cape Town eviction lawyers Simon Dippenaar & Associates (SDLAW), we were angered and saddened to learn of recent illegal actions by the Gauteng security company Red Ants. The Red Ants firm specialises in “urban management support services for human settlements”, and was established to […]
What can you do when your tenant falls into rental arrears? Nobody wants to fall into rental arrears, but unfortunately it happens. Times are tough, and the economic climate isn’t forecast to improve for some time yet, so it is all too common for tenants to default on their rental payments. This is a stressful situation […]
