Legal news and commentary from the offices of Simon Dippenaar
After many revisions, the Land Court Act is finally enacted The Land Court Bill has been occupying legislators for some time now. Last year, it was finally enacted and became the Land Court Act No. 6 of 2023. The Land Court Act is an attempt to right some of the wrongs of the past, and […]
What you need to know if you own or rent commercial property If you’re a business owner, it’s very likely you either own or rent a commercial property. Whether you are landlord or tenant, you need a solid understanding of commercial eviction laws to protect your rights and interests. Commercial property is not governed by the […]
Reprinted from the Daily Maverick, by Geoffrey Allsop – 2022-09-27 We explain in detail what the courts have ruled Since the Covid pandemic began, occupations of public land by destitute people have increased in various parts of the country. Below, we explain what the law currently says about when the government can lawfully remove people from […]
Reprinted from Moneyweb, by Liezl Human (GroundUp) – 2021-10-01 Housing activist groups have condemned the Unlawful Occupations By-law which was passed by the City of Cape Town on Wednesday, saying that it will criminalise people in need of housing and those living in shacks. An amended Streets, Public Places and Prevention of Noise Nuisances By-law […]
What is permitted under the new, “adjusted” Alert Level 1 It’s hard to keep up. The regulations for each Alert Level seem to vary each time a level is announced. Adjusted Level 3 was not the same as Level 3 first time round, and the same appears to hold true for Adjusted Level 1. So […]
The power of social media is immense. So much more than a mere communication tool, it’s a cornerstone of citizen journalism and can be one of the most effective ways in which ordinary people can tell important stories as they happen. What’s more, content posted on social media can be the grounds for legal action […]
What is the state of play regarding evictions? Hurrah! We made it to Alert Level 2! The drinkers and smokers will be particularly happy, but so will the gym-goers, those with family in another province, everyone who wants to see their friends, and…landlords. Landlords? Not so fast. There is some relaxation of the rules governing […]
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 […]
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 […]
How much does it cost to evict a tenant? Eviction is an unpleasant word. It conjures up images of an uncaring landlord putting an unfortunate tenant out on the streets. It’s true that there are cases of unfair evictions. But for the most part, rental housing legislation now provides considerable protection to tenants and prevents […]
