Advice &amp; News

Universal Partnerships: what is required?

There is currently no statute in South Africa that regulates the relationships between cohabitees if they are not formally married.

April 28, 2022

The AARTO Act: constitutional or unconstitutional?

The constitutional validity of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act and the Administrative Adjudication of Traffic Offences Amendment (AARTO Amendment) Act was recently challenged in the matter between the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) v The Minister of Transport and others.

April 28, 2022

The deal collapsed – is the attorney to blame?

The case of Nienaber N.O. and van den Berg (the plaintiffs) versus Nelson and Kitching Attorneys (the defendants) highlights the criteria of the duty of care a conveyancer should be aware of when providing services to clients. In this case, the plaintiffs instituted action alleging that the defendants owed them a duty of care as conveyancers and acted negligently and in breach of such duty. Let’s take a closer look.

March 30, 2022

An ethical approach to fee discounts

Legal fees are regulated by tariff guidelines, which are issued by the Rules Board in terms of the Legal Practice Act. Although these tariffs are guidelines, they are typically followed in the conveyancing industry. As a result, if fees are ever queried, they can usually be backed up by the regulations issued in the Government Gazette from time to time.

March 30, 2022

When ownership of immovable property is vested in a company

There are instances where ownership of land is vested in a company. Typically, a company is registered, usually with one or two directors, and such company then takes transfer of the immovable property. The land is then held in the name of the legal entity (being the company), with the individuals or directors who intend to stay there holding shares in the company.

March 30, 2022

Can void sale agreements be revived?

Formalities are hugely important when it comes to the sale of immovable property, which is governed by the Alienation of Land Act 68 of 1981. The act states that no sale of land is permitted unless it has been put in writing and contained in a deed of sale – also commonly referred to as an Offer to Purchase – signed by all parties involved.

March 2, 2022

Court ruling: Sale of immovable property – Alienation of Land Act

In the recent case of Potgieter v Village and others, held at the High Court of South Africa, Northern Cape Division, Kimberly, the applicant applied for an urgent interdict to restrain the first and second respondents from passing transfer of a specific property. The application for the interdict was pending action by the applicant to claim transfer of the property. In this case, both parties to the contract were represented by their attorneys.

March 2, 2022

The Property Practitioners Act 22 of 2019: what you need to know

In 2017, the Government undertook to interrogate the Estate Agency Affairs Act and replace it with one it deemed more suitable. The result was the Property Practitioners Act (PPA), which came into effect on 1 February 2022. In this article, we’ll be touching on some of the highlights – or lowlights, depending on your point of view – of this new act.

March 2, 2022

Protection at last for black women in marriage

In terms of section 22(6) of the Black Administrations Act 38 of 1927 (BAA), all black marriages in South Africa were deemed to be out of community of property – and this default position was perpetuated by the Matrimonial Property Act 88 of 1984. In contrast, the default position for all other races in South African matrimonial law was, and continues to be, in community of property.

January 31, 2022

Suspensive conditions revisited in the Cape Royal case

South Africa’s law of contract provides several ways in which contracting parties can protect and enforce their contractual rights. The most essential principle of contract is party autonomy – parties to a contract are free to conclude what they have agreed to, and the courts have a duty to enforce this agreement as far as possible provided it is not against the law.

January 31, 2022

Court ruling: Customary marriages

The validity of customary marriages recently came before the Western Cape High Court in the matter of T Diba vs E Miselo and one other. Central to the case were questions around the validity of the marriage itself as well as whether or not involvement of the family is critical to the recognition of customary marriages.

December 7, 2021

Property transfer costs: Who pays what?

The buyer and seller of a property are responsible for certain costs associated with the transfer process. Here’s a look at who’s liable for what.

December 7, 2021

Pay with complete peace of mind

With cybercrime on the increase globally, the team at Snymans is increasingly aware of the importance of safeguarding both our clients and our business against cyber criminals when it comes to making and receiving electronic payments. In fact, phishing crimes have become such a cause for concern in South Africa that the Legal Practitioners’ Fidelity Fund has declared that it will not make good on insurance claims arising from these types of crimes.

December 7, 2021

Market News

2021 Year-end wrap up: Jansen Snyman

Dear Clients, Colleagues and Friends. We’ll remember 2020 as the year the world as we knew it was turned on its head. For most of that year we looked, in the words of Mark Twain, like an envelope without an address.

November 30, 2021