Time line, from budget to levies
By Anton Kelly An argument was made the other day about which financial year’s budget is approved at the AGM. Here is a time line and the relevant provisions that explain … Continue reading
Pets and property prices in sectional title schemes
By guest writer: Estie Kretschmer A few months ago I read an article by Jennifer Paddock (1), where she mentioned an Australian study about the positive influence of pet-friendly complexes on property … Continue reading
Duties of managing agents
By Anton Kelly Managing agents get a lot of criticism from owners. No doubt some is justified – we all make mistakes and sometimes have gaps in our expert knowledge. To … Continue reading
Wake up and smell the POPI
By Carryn Melissa Durham The Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPI”) gives effect to the constitutional right to privacy while advancing the right of access to information. The … Continue reading
Appearance restrictions in community schemes
By Anton Kelly Property owners in homeowners’ associations (HOAs) and sectional title schemes often run foul of seemingly draconian rules that limit or completely remove their freedom to decide on the … Continue reading
Can the Trustees Disconnect My Electricity?
Carryn Durham, who manages the Paddocks Consulting Team, is a featured property-law expert on Property24. She recently answered a reader question about whether the trustees of a body corporate are … Continue reading
The Theft of Funds from Sectional Title Schemes: Managing Agency Malfeasance
By Prof. Paddock According to a recent Personal Finance report, the Estate Agency Affairs Board is dealing with another theft by a managing agent, this being the most recent … Continue reading
Liability for Levies When a Unit Changes Hands
By Jennifer Paddock Ordinary Levies The situation with ordinary/general levies is straightforward as it is catered for the Sectional Titles Act (the Act). Once the trustees have raised an ordinary … Continue reading
Work Smarter, Not Harder!
By Mark Graubner, Australian Sales Manager – Mystrata A little while ago I was talking to an owner of a sectional title management business. We’ll name this guy ‘John’ for … Continue reading
Distinguishing between Luxurious and Non-Luxurious Improvements to Common Property
By Jennifer Paddock In a recent post I dealt with how luxurious and non-luxurious improvements to the common property need to be authorized. In this post I look at how … Continue reading
Authorising Luxurious and Non-Luxurious Improvements to Common Property
By Jennifer Paddock Prescribed Management Rule 33 provides different procedures and consent levels for authorizing luxurious and non-luxurious improvements to the common property in a sectional title scheme. Luxurious … Continue reading
Levy Collections in Sectional Title Schemes
By Jennifer Paddock I’ve been writing articles about sectional title for a long time now – this will be my 8th year. And my memory is not that amazing! So … Continue reading
Can Sectional Title Trustees be Paid?
By Jennifer Paddock The position of a sectional title trustee is a voluntary and often thankless one. Dedicated trustees put a lot of their free time and a mountain of … Continue reading
The Carrot and Stick Approach: Early Levy Payment Discounts
By Professor Graham Paddock “Carrot and Stick Approach” is a term used to refer to a policy of both offering a reward and threatening a punishment to persuade a person … Continue reading
Thinking Inside the Box 