Quick Guide: Nuisance in community schemes
An increasing number of South Africans live in close contact with their neighbours. Section 39(2)(a) of the Community Schemes Ombud Service Act of 2011 allows an adjudicator to control nuisance … Continue reading
Quick Guide: Responsibility for Sectional Title Scheme Maintenance
By Graham Paddock Most scheme management questions relate to who is responsible for scheme repairs, maintenance and replacements. It is no surprise that everybody wants somebody else to do the … Continue reading
Insurance claim settlement – Paddocks Club discussion
By Graham Paddock and Mike Addison Using the term “complex” for community scheme living definitely carries multiple layers. It seems that every day brings new challenges and obstacles that can … Continue reading
Maintenance and Repair of Windows and Doors in Exterior Section Walls: Getting Down to Detail
By Graham Paddock Section 5(5) of the Sectional Titles Act provides: “any window, door or other structure which divides a section from another section or from common property, shall be … Continue reading
Amended rules – your obligations now
By Ané de Klerk Once a body corporate has passed the relevant resolutions, submitted their amended rules to the Community Schemes Ombud Service and received that all-important certificate of approval … Continue reading
A room with a view, (well…, sort of)
By Auren Freitas dos Santos It is natural for property owners to use and develop their property to the fullest extent possible in order to increase the habitable area of … Continue reading
Compulsory and optional sectional title building insurance
By Auren Freitas dos Santos One of the most important functions of a body corporate is to insure the scheme’s buildings. This function requires the body corporate to insure all … Continue reading
How to get a sectional owner to pay for use rights, or remove unauthorised improvements.
By Graham Paddock It is not unusual for sectional title schemes to include parts of the common property that are exclusively used, improved and/or enclosed by owners, but which are … Continue reading
Are you well enough prepared for that board meeting?
By Ané de Klerk As a community scheme executive (trustee of a body corporate, director of a non-profit company home owners’ association; trustee of a common law home owners’ association … Continue reading
Our owners just don’t care
By Ané de Klerk One of the most challenging aspects of managing sectional title schemes, has to be the widespread lack of engagement by owners. Whilst some schemes are spoilt … Continue reading
Forthcoming Property Practitioners Act
By Graham Paddock The Property Practitioners Bill was first proposed in 2013. Parliament has now adopted the latest version (reference B21-2018). The next step is for the President to sign … Continue reading
Creating parking bays in your scheme
By Ané de Klerk Record shows that the number of registered vehicles in South Africa has doubled in the past 20 years. With more than 12 million registered vehicles on … Continue reading
What can sectional title trustees do when scheme budgets prove insufficient?
By Graham Paddock Budgeting is not an exact science. This article will concentrate on the various processes the trustees can follow when they find that they don’t have enough money … Continue reading
Abandon ship!
By Auren Freitas dos Santos Are you wondering what steps you could take to protect yourself from going down with the sinking ship that is your body corporate? A result … Continue reading
Thinking Inside the Box 